Windermere Pharmacy and Health Centre respects your privacy and the confidentiality of your health information. This statement explains how we handle personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), the Pharmacy Act 53 of 1974 and the rules of the South African Pharmacy Council.
1. Who we are
The responsible party is Windermere Pharmacy and Health Centre, 104 Smiso Nkwanyana Road, Morningside, Durban (Corner Old Goble and Windermere Roads).
- Information Officer: Shanil Singh
- Email: Admin@windermerepharmacy.co.za
- Phone: 031 312 6021
2. Information we collect
- Contact details: your name, phone number, email and delivery address.
- Health information: prescriptions, medicines, medical history, symptoms, test results and consultation notes. This is special personal information under POPIA.
- Medical aid details: scheme, plan and membership number, where you ask us to claim.
- Messages: what you send us on WhatsApp, by email or by phone, including photos of scripts.
3. This website
- This website does not store your personal information. It has no customer accounts and uses no analytics, advertising or tracking cookies.
- The Send a script form runs only in your browser. It prepares a WhatsApp or email message that you choose to send to us; nothing is saved on the website.
- The Google Map loads only if you press "Show map". Google, YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp may then set their own cookies under their own privacy policies.
- Our hosting server keeps standard technical logs (such as IP address, browser and pages visited) for security, which are deleted routinely.
4. Why we use your information
- To dispense your medicines safely, check for interactions and keep the dispensing records the law requires.
- To provide consultations, screenings, vaccinations and other health services you ask for.
- To claim from your medical aid, where applicable.
- To arrange collection or delivery and to contact you about your request.
- To meet our legal and professional obligations, including Pharmacy Council and Department of Health requirements.
We process health information as a healthcare provider for your treatment and care, as POPIA permits, and keep it confidential. We will only send you marketing (such as specials) if you have agreed to it, and you can opt out at any time.
5. Who we share it with
We share only what is necessary, and only for your care or where the law requires it, for example with:
- your medical aid scheme or its administrator;
- pathology laboratories processing tests you have asked for;
- a doctor or other practitioner we refer you to, with your knowledge;
- our delivery staff (name, number and address only);
- authorities such as the Department of Health or the Pharmacy Council, where legally required.
We never sell your personal information.
6. Information stored outside South Africa
Messages you send by WhatsApp or email may be stored by those services on servers outside South Africa. These providers are bound by data-protection laws and terms comparable to POPIA. If you prefer, you can bring your script to the pharmacy or phone us instead.
7. How long we keep it
We keep prescription, dispensing and clinical records for the periods required by the Pharmacy Act, the Medicines and Related Substances Act and other health legislation, and other information only for as long as we need it. Records are then securely destroyed.
8. Keeping it safe
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including restricted access, password-protected systems and confidentiality obligations for all staff.
9. Children
Information about patients under 18 is handled with the consent of a parent or guardian, except where the law allows otherwise.
10. Your rights
- Ask whether we hold information about you and request a copy.
- Ask us to correct or delete information that is inaccurate, out of date or no longer needed (subject to records we must keep by law).
- Object to processing, and withdraw consent for marketing at any time.
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator at inforegulator.org.za.
To exercise these rights, contact our Information Officer using the details above. Our manual in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) is available on request.
11. Changes to this statement
We may update this statement from time to time. The latest version is always on this page.