Privacy policy Privacy policy

National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) (A.C.N. 082 034 393) is bound by the National Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

This document outlines the policies undertaken by NPS in the collection, use and storage of personal information as a part of our business to provide independent evidenced-based information and services to health professionals and the community on Quality Use of Medicines (QUM).

What is personal information?

Personal information is any information relating to an individual that is held in a record by an organisation, such as your name or address.

The personal information that NPS collects could include your name, the organisation you work for, your postal address, telephone and fax numbers and your email address. The table below outlines some of the extra information which may be collected depending on your relationship with NPS.

How is it collected?

NPS collects this information when you request a product or service, complete a survey, questionnaire or enrolment form or when you communicate with NPS by email, telephone, in writing, in person or, if you are an NPS staff member, through staff recruitment and selection processes.

NPS also collects information which is included in the public domain. This includes information from pharmacy registration boards.

From the website

When you visit the NPS website, our web server may download a cookie to your computer. A cookie is a small piece of information sent by our server to your browser.

To protect your privacy, your browser only permits a web site to access the cookies it has already sent to you, not the cookies sent to you by other sites. If you do not wish to receive any cookies, you may set your browser to refuse them; go to the help menu for instructions.

Cookies do not contain personal information about users. However, cookies can identify a user's browser. The cookies transferred by the NPS website are used for such things as:

• capturing information about a user's web browser and screen resolution
• controlling the number of times such things as a pop-up window will appear
• enabling login access to password protected areas of the website.

This information is used for quality assurance and evaluation purposes.

Indirect collection

NPS tries to collect personal information about an individual only from that individual, but in some circumstances NPS may obtain personal information from a third party such as an NPS Facilitator or a Practice Manager. If you provide personal information about another person to NPS, we require that you inform that person you have done so.

How is it used?

Personal information gathered is necessary to assist NPS in its function of providing educational resources and information services to clients and for evaluation. It is used only for the intended purposes and will not be sold, re-used, rented or loaned for other purposes.

This information is used by NPS for the distribution of its publications and promotion of educational activities including events and conferences, and for communication with subscribers and activity participants.

NPS needs your consent to use your personal information, in accordance with the Privacy Act and the National Privacy Principles. In some instances, if you do not provide consent, we may be unable to assess or process your information to provide you with the programs or services you require.

In most cases NPS implies your consent and permission to use the personal information you provide as part of the information services and educational activities to which you register or subscribe.

At any time you can advise NPS of changes to the above details or ask to be removed from our mailing lists by completing this form, faxing to 02 9211 7580 or posting to PO Box 1147 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012.

What is sensitive information?

Sensitive information is personal information such as health information and information about personal attributes such as ethnic or racial origin, membership of organisations such as trade unions, or religious or political affiliations.

NPS does not collect identifiable medical information specific to a person, nor does it provide personal medical advice.

As part of its services NPS offers doctors the opportunity to undertake educational activities which require them to collect de-identified health information and disclose it to NPS for educational purposes. Doctors providing this data are advised of its full use and give NPS written consent for the de-identified data to be aggregated in feedback to other doctors. NPS also offers pharmacists and other health professionals similar educational activities. Doctors and health professionals are provided with patient information materials for their waiting areas describing the activity.

De-identified data means that the health information about an individual patient is not linked to name, address, date of birth, specific age or gender. Instead the information is linked to an Identification Number. This code is destroyed at the completion of the educational activity for which the information was supplied and the original collection forms are returned to the doctor (or other health professional) by mail.

One potential identifier is the name and practice address of the doctor who is participating in the educational activity. In this case, another unique identifier is assigned to ensure all sensitive information is de-identified. This link between patient health data and the doctor's identification is permanently destroyed at the end of the triennium of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners QA&CPD program.

When GPs send this type of information electronically, it is done so using an encrypted file which is deleted as soon as it has been transferred to the NPS database.

The NPS database holds a collection of clinical data responses but this does not include any information which actually or potentially allows identification of an individual patient or health professional.

Protection and security

NPS has appointed a Privacy Officer and Committee to oversee the management of personal information in accordance with this policy and the Privacy Act (Cth).

NPS maintains the confidentiality and security of your personal information by restricting access to only those staff and service providers required to provide management and administration services. A range of security measures is also in place to prevent the misuse, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure of your personal information.

NPS has archiving policies and procedures in place which provide for the secure, permanent destruction of records of personal information when no longer required, in accordance with National Privacy Principle 4.2.

Disclosure

It may be necessary for NPS to disclose your personal information to third parties in the provision and administration of our educational services or products. You will be advised at the time of our request for your personal information as to what purposes and/or third parties we may need to supply your information. Examples of the types of organisations to which we may disclose your information are:

• If you are a GP, we provide Medicare Australia with your participation information to entitle you for the Quality Prescribing Initiative for the Practice Incentive Program
• If you are a health professional, we provide your professional association with your participation information to entitle you to the respective continuing education program

NPS does not supply, sell or rent its clients' information to any unrelated third parties for the purpose of those third parties marketing their products or services to you. However, NPS will disclose your personal information in circumstances where it has statutory obligations or is otherwise required to do so by law.

In some cases, where verification can be provided, information is provided to a Practice Manager of the activity status of the practice and/or GPs within that practice.

Access

You have the right to ask for the personal information held about you and to advise NPS of any inaccuracy. There are some exceptions to this set out in the Privacy Act.

If you make an access request, NPS will ask you to verify your identity and specify what information you require.

Complaints

NPS is committed to resolving your privacy complaint as quickly as possible and has procedures in place to help resolve any problems or complaints efficiently. In all cases your complaint will be forwarded by the staff who receives it to the Privacy Committee, which includes the CEO. It will be thoroughly investigated and a suitable resolution negotiated with you.

Further information

If you have enquiries or feedback about this policy, or wish to make a complaint about our handling of your personal information, please contact the Privacy Officer.

Complete this form
Phone: 02 8217 8700
Fax: 02 9211 7580
Mail: PO Box 1147, Strawberry Hills, NSW, 2012

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