Wash. Rev. Code § 42.56.360

Health care

Washington’s public records act prohibits disclosure of the following health care information:

•         Information obtained by the board of pharmacy from a manufacturer or their representative.
•         Information obtained by the board of pharmacy from an individual or entity (e.g. pharmaceutical manufacturer, practitioner) that purchases or distributes drugs.
•         Information and documents created and maintained by quality improvement committees, peer review committees, quality assurance committees, and hospitals in relation to the reporting and notification of adverse events and hospital acquired infections.
•         Records related to the impaired physician program.
•         Complaints regarding health professional discipline.
•         Information related to the prescription monitoring program.
•         Information obtained by the department of health pursuant to the death with dignity act.
•         Cardiac and stroke performance data submitted to national, state, or local data collection systems.
•         Information obtained from the employee wellness program. However, statistical reports that do not contain identifying information may be disclosed. 

According to the law, the public may inspect and copy patient health care information.  However, information regarding infant mortality reviews is exempt from public disclosure.  Information does not lose its exempted status when disclosed by an agency to another agency.  Agencies may disclose exempted information to other agencies without causing the information to lose its exempted status. Agencies may mark the information as “exempt” in order to provide notice to another agency, but such notation does not affect the record’s status.