Combined Dispensaries Friendly Society Limited – Privacy Policy and Disclosure Statement
About this policy
Combined Dispensaries Friendly Society Limited (CDFS) is bound by the Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988. This policy statement affirms our commitment to comply with those principles, explains how we collect, use, and protect the privacy of your personal and health information we hold.
How we collect your personal information
We will only collect and retain personal information related to you and your health if it is reasonably necessary to enable us to provide you healthcare products and/or services, or if it is required by law.
We may collect personal information about you when you have a prescription filled, when you deal with us in person over the counter or via a digital method (e-script, phone, email or on our website), when you have a healthcare service provided by us (such as medical certificate or vaccination) or if you become a member of CDFS.
The type of personal and/or health information we collect about you includes, but may not be limited to, your name, residential and mailing address, telephone number, email address, your medical practitioner’s name, the medication you are prescribed, your Medicare number, your concession card details, and date of birth (where relevant).
Details of your prescriptions are required to be collected and stored under the National Health Act and/or State Pharmacy legislation. If you do not provide us with certain information about yourself, in some circumstances we may be unable to provide a product, service or subsidy that you require.
There may be occasions when we need to source personal information about you from a third party or when we collect your personal information from third parties, such as your treating medical practitioner or other health professional or a relative or friend who presents a prescription to us on your behalf. This Privacy and Disclosure Statement applies to any information we collect in that way also.
Disclosure statement – why we collect your personal and health information
CDFS collects your personal information to dispense medications to you or to provide you with healthcare services. We also collect your personal information if you choose to become a member of CDFS to send you information about our services and products, to offer promotions, competitions and/or membership programs.
How we use the personal information we collect
We will use any personal information collected for the primary purpose for which it was collected.
If you are a patient, we may disclose your personal and/or health information to:
- your treating medical practitioner, if necessary, to clarify your prescription or to alert them to potential contradictions or medication conflicts;
- a Government Department as required by law, for example, under the National Health Act 1953;
- police, or similarly authorised officers, as required under the law, for example, patient information requested under subpoena.
Other than for a reason permitted by law, we will not disclose your personal or health information to anyone else, including overseas parties, without your written consent.
Other people’s information which you provide to us
If you provide someone else’s personal and/or health information to us (for example, your children or those of a relative) you should ensure that you are entitled to disclose that information to us. We will collect and use such information only for the purposes for which it was provided or any relevant ancillary purpose (i.e. related to the provision of health services).
Use of Cookies
We may store some information on your computer such as cookies when you visit our website. Cookies are pieces of information that a website transfers to a visitor’s computer for record-keeping purposes. This information facilitates your use of the website.
How you can gain access to personal information we hold about you
You can request access to personal information we hold about you. If you make such a request, we will ask you to complete a form for this purpose. There is no charge for lodging a request to access your information.
All requests for information will be handled within a reasonable timeframe. Requests may not be able to be dealt with immediately, especially any requests for a large volume of information, or which span a significant length of time.
Keeping your personal information up-to-date
We will take reasonable steps to make sure that the personal and health information that we collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up to date.
If you discover that any personal or health information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date, please inform us immediately to have this information corrected.
Email Address and SMS privacy
Email addresses and phone numbers are collected by CDFS to assist in providing digital and web-based services for members and customers. By providing your phone number and email address, and consenting to receive direct marketing communications from us, you permit CDFS to send communication by email or SMS. If you wish to opt-out of SMS or email communication, you may do so at any stage.
CDFS will not disclose personal information you provide to any other organisation or individual unless required or authorised by law to do so or unless you consent to the disclosure.
Security of your personal information
The personal information we hold is stored in a secure manner. We do not routinely disclose your personal information to any other person or organisation, although there may be a need to provide information to other health service providers if it is necessary to help us to provide services to you.
All personal and health information is stored in secured electronic records management locations which can only be accessed by our employees or authorised contractors. Any hardcopy records that contain personal and/or health information will be kept in an area that is only accessible by authorised employees or contractors, and is not available to the general public.
When no longer needed, personal and health records will be deleted or destroyed in a secure manner, subject to legal requirements.
Variation and consent to variation
We may at any time vary the terms of this Privacy Statement. You should check this Privacy Statement regularly so that you are aware of any variations made. You will be deemed to have consented to such variations unless we are informed in writing otherwise.
Further information and how to contact us
If you require further information, have a question, or wish to raise a concern please speak to a manager in store. Alternatively, you may submit your enquiry in writing via email to:
The Privacy Officer
Combined Dispensaries Friendly Society Ltd
c/- admin@friendlypharmacy.com.au
Where reasonably possible, we will act take steps to investigate and resolve complaints within 30 days. Please note, we may request further information from you to resolve any complaints. If we cannot resolve a complaint related to your privacy, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (“OAIC”) directly.
Or for more information about privacy issues in Australia and protecting your privacy, please visit the OAIC website at www.oaic.gov.au.