Prescription de-identification is the removal of patient IDs from a script. It meets the HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR Part 164). anonym.plus does this on your own device. The medicine and the dose stay; the name goes.
When this applies
A script names the patient, the prescriber, and the pharmacy. To reuse it for an audit or a teaching set, you must clear those IDs first.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the file (PDF, DOCX, or scan) in anonym.plus on your device.
- Local OCR reads scanned scripts, so printed text is caught too.
- It flags patient and prescriber names, dates, and contacts.
- Check the flags; the medicine name is not an ID and stays.
- Swap each ID for a label, or black it out.
- Save the clean copy. The original never leaves your machine.
What you need to provide
- The script (PDF, DOCX, TXT, or image scan).
- An operator: Replace, Redact, or Mask.
- Optional allow-list to keep your formulary terms.
PHI entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | Anita Roy → [PATIENT] |
| Names | PERSON | Dr. Hale → [PRESCRIBER] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | issued 04/12/2026 → [DATE] |
| Record IDs | MEDICAL_RECORD_NUMBER | Rx 55812 → [RX_ID] |
| Contact | PHONE_NUMBER | 0151 555 0190 → [PHONE] |
| Identifiers | US_SSN | 078-05-1120 → [ID] |
Compliance achieved
- Meets the HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR Part 164) for reuse.
- Runs offline, so the tool itself needs no BAA.
- Working files are kept safe with AES-256-GCM.
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Limitations & cautions
The medicine name and dose are not patient IDs and stay in place. A rare compound for a known person could still hint at identity. Review odd cases and keep the prescriber's details out if you share widely.
Frequently asked questions
Is the medicine name removed?
No. A drug name is not patient PHI, so it stays. Only IDs like the patient name, the date, and the script number go, which keeps the file useful for review.
Does this need a BAA?
No. anonym.plus runs on your own device with no cloud step. No outside party touches the data, so the tool itself needs no BAA.
Can I clean a stack of scripts at once?
Yes. Point anonym.plus at a folder and it works through each file on your device.