Awareness and Assessment of Cybersecurity and Data Privacy in Digital Prescription Platforms among Pharmacy Students

Abstract

Background: Digital prescription platforms are starting to replace healthcare delivery, yet the issues related to data privacy and cybersecurity remain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usage patterns, awareness of the concerns of data privacy, and attitude towards cybersecurity practices by users.

Methodology: The cross-sectional survey was performed with the help of the structured questionnaire of 10 items on the usage of digital prescription platforms, the number of times they are used, the awareness of the data privacy problem, and the opinion on the cybersecurity practices. The responses of users were gathered, and frequency and percentage distributions were performed.

Results: In 100 respondents, 44 percent of them have been using digital prescription systems, and 56 percent had not. The most common usage patterns were monthly (38percent) and weekly (23percent). Half of the participants identified data privacy concerns and only a small part of them knew the data protection laws (Yes: 34%, No: 45, Somewhat: 21). It is only 45 percent who always read privacy policies. Best practices to platform security were defined as passwords (15%), biometric authentication (34%), data encryption (25%), and two-factor authentication (26%). When it comes to breach of data, 34% would report it to the authorities and 40% would do nothing with it. Seventy-five percent of the respondents were in favor of adding cybersecurity training to the pharmacy curriculum (Agree: 55%, Strongly Agree: 39%).

Conclusion: The results showed average exposure and engagement with digital prescription sites, poor knowledge of data privacy policies, and inconsistent practice of security measures. It is suggested to enhance user education and include cybersecurity training into the pharmacy curriculum to advance the digital health security awareness.