Kinney Drugs' May AI Refill Tool Triggers Delays and Privacy Fears in 2 States
Updated
Updated · VTDigger · Jul 29
Kinney Drugs' May AI Refill Tool Triggers Delays and Privacy Fears in 2 States
1 articles · Updated · VTDigger · Jul 29
Summary
Nearly a dozen Kinney Drugs customers in Vermont and New York told VTDigger the chain’s AI refill assistant has delayed prescriptions, requested wrong refills and dosages, and sometimes failed to notify patients when orders were ready.
Kinney launched the tool, Burt, in May to cut repetitive calls and free pharmacists’ time, but customers said the voice system is confusing, lacks a keypad alternative, and can be hard to avoid because providing a phone number counts as consent.
11 policy documents and a new privacy notice say protected health information may be used in AI tools to improve operations, raising concern because third-party vendor Synerio also handles patient data.
June 16 Vermont privacy law S.71 will not take effect for 2 years, and lawyers and advocates said current rules lag healthcare AI, leaving thin protections and making consent an unreliable safeguard.