Having worked on BC eHeath projects around this time, I know that there were protocols and procedures to 'sanitize' data - i.e. to remove any and all personal information from data that was used in research and testing scenarios. My understanding is that those protocols were followed by those employees in this situation.

As I understand it, there was never any privacy breech because the researchers were using sanitized data. A pharmaceutical company didn't like the fact that the researchers had determined that their products did not achieve the claimed efficacy and did not meet the standards for provincial coverage. 

The rationale for the firings, and the subsequent fallout, was entirely fabricated for political purposes. It was a political response to protect the interests of a BC Liberal party donor. Premier Clark should not be allowed to wash her hands of this travesty.