Doctors and pharmacies can share your medical data via the LSP (National Exchange Point) for the purpose of providing you with the right care. This brochure explains how the LSP works. It also explains how to give permission for this, and you will find answers your questions about the LSP.
“I have a lot of chronic problems, so I take a number of different medications. Of course it is important that these medications can be used together. It used to be that I had to keep track of exactly which medications I was taking. But there were times when I had to go to the emergency room unexpectedly, and of course they need to know what medications I’m taking so they can prevent possible problems. Sometimes I couldn’t tell them exactly, because I had a blackout or because I was too nervous. That is why I have given my pharmacy permission to release my medical data via the LSP. For me it is literally a matter of life and death that a doctor is able to look at my current medical data right away.”
Koos de Gast is chronically ill
When you are seen by the physician on duty at the after-hours medical clinic or a different pharmacy in the evening or during the weekend, you still want you receive the right care.
That is why this other doctor or pharmacy needs the right information. This information is available via the LSP. The LSP is a secure network. Doctors and pharmacies can connect to it with their computer systems. They can use this network to access the most relevant data in the files from your own general practitioner and pharmacy. That way, your medical data are always available, even in the evenings and on weekends, but only if your general practitioner and your pharmacy have submitted these data to the LSP. They need your permission to do this!

Your general practitioner and your pharmacy maintain a file with your information
The file from your general practitioner lists your symptoms and how they are treated. The file from your pharmacy lists the medications you have received, and whether there are certain medications you cannot take.
You can give your permission for the LSP
If your general practitioner and pharmacy are connected to the LSP, they will ask for your permission. If you give your permission, your general practitioner or pharmacy will submit the most relevant data from your file to the LSP. The physicians on duty at the after-hours medical clinic can then look at those medical data. Other pharmacies and medical specialists can only look at the information about your medications. Your data remain in the computer system of your own general practitioner or pharmacy.
Say you become unwell unexpectedly in the evening or during the weekend
Or you have an accident. You will go to the after-hours medical clinic or to the hospital, where you will be seen by a different doctor.
This other doctor will access your relevant medical data
He will only do this if it is necessary for your treatment. He can access your relevant medical data by entering your citizen service number (BSN). That way he knows what he should be aware of, like other symptoms you have or medications you are taking.

You might also pick up your medications at a different pharmacy
Your own pharmacy might be closed, for instance. This other pharmacy can check the LSP to see what medications you get from your own pharmacy. That way he knows whether the medications you are taking can be combined with other medications, and whether you are allergic to certain medications.
After the treatment your own doctor and pharmacy will receive a notification from the LSP
That way your doctor knows what treatment you received, and your pharmacy knows what medications you received.
Your general practitioner and pharmacy can’t just release your medical data. They can only do so with your permission, to safeguard your privacy. The decision whether or not to give your permission is entirely up to you.
There are 3 ways to give your permission
1.
You tell your general practitioner and your pharmacy
Your general practitioner or pharmacy may ask for your permission. Of course you can also tell them yourself.
2.
You submit a permission form to your general practitioner and pharmacy
If you are completing a permission form, make sure that all the fields are completed. The permission form must be signed by you, and the form must state the date on which you give your permission.
3.
You give your permission via www.ikgeeftoestemming.nl
You will need your DigiD and password via text message. Your general practitioner and pharmacy will receive a notification from the website that you are participating.
Your general practitioner and pharmacy will make a note of your permission in your file.
Then they will submit the most relevant data from your file to the LSP. Once that is done, other doctors and pharmacies will be able to view these data.
Your general practitioner and your pharmacy each require your permission
If you want not just your general practitioner to share your medical data via the LSP but also your pharmacy, for example, you give your permission to each of them separately. And if you use more than one pharmacy, you can also give your permission separately to the other pharmacy.
If you don’t give your permission to your general practitioner and/or pharmacy, other doctors and/or pharmacies cannot access the data via the LSP, not even in emergency situations.

Good to know
You can block some of your medical data.
If you don’t want all of your data to be visible in the LSP, you have the right to block certain data. Discuss this with your general practitioner and/or your pharmacy. Other doctors and pharmacies will not be able to see these data when they access your data via the LSP. They won’t see that you are blocking certain data, either, not even in emergency situations.
Good to know
You can always withdraw your permission.
You can tell your general practitioner and pharmacy. Or you can inform them online via www.vzvz.nl. If you withdraw your permission, other doctors and pharmacies will no longer be able to access your medical data via the LSP.
In this section you will find answers to 10 frequently asked questions. If you don’t see your question here, check the questions and answers on www.vzvz.nl
.
1.
How do I know whether my general practitioner and pharmacy are connected to the LSP?
You will find a list of all participating care providers on www.vzvz.nl. You can look for the name of your general practitioner or your pharmacy, for example. If your general practitioner or pharmacy are not connected yet, you can still inform them that you want to give your permission.
2.
Who gives permission for the release of the medical data of my child?
That depends on the age of your child.
 If your child is younger than 12, you give your permission as the parent or legal guardian.
 If your child is 12, 13, 14 or 15, both the parent or legal guardian and the child must give their permission. If one of the two does not give their permission, your general practitioner or pharmacy may not release your child’s data.
 If your child is 16 or older, the child is the one who gives permission.
3.
Say I give my permission. Will any general practitioner or pharmacy be able to access my data at any time?
No, it doesn’t work like that. Only care providers who are connected to the LSP can see your data, and then only if they need the information for your treatment.
4.
Say I give my permission. Which care providers will be able to access my data?
Care providers in your region who are connected to the LSP. This includes:
 General practitioners
 After-hours medical clinics (physicians on duty)
 (After-hours) pharmacies
 Hospital pharmacies

 Medical specialists (even those outside of your region)
If you want to know exactly which care providers in your region are participating, visit www.vzvz.nl.
Health insurers, employers and company doctors do not have access to your medical data via the LSP. Other care providers like psychologists, physical therapists and dentist cannot connect to the LSP either.
5.
What data do care providers have access to via the LSP?
1. Participating care providers can view the following data related to you:
 Your personal details: name, address, date of birth, age, sex and citizen service number (BSN)
 A list of medications you have received from your pharmacy
2. If a physician on duty, at the after-hours clinic, for example, accesses your data via the LSP, in addition to your personal details and the list of medications he will also see a summary of your file from the general practitioner. This summary contains:
 Your health problems
 The medications your general practitioner prescribed for you
 Any allergies you may have
 Information about contacts with you during the past 4 months (or about the last 5 contacts)
 Other information that is relevant for a physician on duty
6.
How do I know who released or accessed my data?
The LSP tracks who accesses what data when. You can obtain an overview of this at any time (on paper or digitally). The overview also specifies which general practitioner and pharmacy released your data. You can request the overview:
 online via www.vzvz.nl
 at the VZVZ Information Centre: (070) 317 34 56
This overview does not contain any medical data. If you want to know which of your medical data are available via the LSP, you can request to see your file at your general practitioner or pharmacy. This is your right as a patient.
If you want to know right away whether your medical data have been released or accessed via the LSP, you can sign up at www.vzvz.nl for LSP notifications. You will receive an e-mail whenever your general practitioner or pharmacy releases your data.
You will also receive an e-mail when another care provider accesses your data.
7.
Say I do not give my permission. Will care providers not exchange any of my medical data?
Not via the LSP, because your general practitioner and pharmacy are only allowed to release your medical data with your permission. Your general practitioner and pharmacy may use a different network to exchange your data, though. Ask them for more information.

8.
How secure is the LSP?
The LSP complies with the Personal Data Protection Act (Wbp) and the Medical
Treatment Contracts Act (WGBO). These laws protect the use of your personal and medical data. The LSP protects your privacy in several ways:
 A care provider can’t just connect to the LSP. His computer system must meet stringent security standards, for example.
 You must first give your permission. Without your permission your general practitioner and pharmacy cannot release your data.
 A care provider can only access your data if he is treating you, and only if it is necessary for your treatment.
 A care provider accesses your data via a secure network. The care provider logs in with a special card and password. The LSP sends the data in encrypted form.
 The use of the LSP is supervised closely. The LSP carefully records who accesses what data when. This way it is always possible to verify whether your data were accessed with good reason, and any abuse can be detected quickly. The Dutch Data
Protection Authority (CBP) and the Netherlands Healthcare Inspectorate (IGZ) are the supervisory agencies.
9.
What are the responsibilities of the VZVZ?
The VZVZ is responsible for the exchange of personal data via the LSP:
 The VZVZ ensures that the LSP functions properly and is secure. For example, a physician on duty should be able to see a summary of the file from your general practitioner, but a pharmacy should not.
 The VZVZ keeps track of which care provider releases you data via the LSP
 The VZVZ keeps track of which care provider accesses your data via the LSP
10.
What are the responsibilities of my general practitioner and pharmacy?
Your general practitioner and pharmacy are responsible for your medical file.
 Your general practitioner and pharmacy are responsible for releasing your medical data via the LSP, but only if you have given your permission.
 Your general practitioner and pharmacy must always treat your data carefully and confidentially.

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… about giving your permission
Ask your general practitioner or pharmacy. Or visit www.vzvz.nl
. about the LSP
Contact the VZVZ Information Centre: (070) 317 34 56 or informatiepunt@vzvz.nl. about your rights as a patient
The Federation of Patients and Consumer Organizations in the Netherlands (NPCF) advocates for everyone who needs medical care.
Telephone:
E-mail:
Website:
0900 2356780 info@nationalezorgnummer.nl www.nationalezorgnummer.nl
en www.npcf.nl
about the protection of personal data
Visit www.cbpweb.nl and www.rijksoverheid.nl/persoonsgegevens. about the protection of medical data
You can find more information about the Medical Treatment Contracts Act (WGBO) on www.rijksoverheid.nl. Use the search term “patient rights”.
Sign up for the free e-mail service at www.vzvz.nl.
This brochure was created in cooperation with:
 Patient federation NPCF
 Royal Dutch Society for the Advancement of Pharmacy (KNMP)
 National Association of General Practitioners (LHV)
 InEen
 Netherlands Association of Hospitals (NVZ)
Text: October 2014, Edition: January 2016