Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

EA Pharma Group ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use our pharmacy services, visit our websites, or interact with us in any way.

We operate the following pharmacies:

• Stone Pharmacy, 23a Gowthorpe, Selby YO8 4HE
• Arc Pharmacy, Portholme Rd, Selby YO8 4QH
• Swan Pharmacy, 66 Doncaster Rd, Selby YO8 9AJ
• Doncastergate Pharmacy, Health Village, Doncaster Gate, Rotherham S65 1DW

This policy complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Data Controller

EA Pharma Group is the data controller responsible for your personal data. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

3. Information We Collect

We collect and process the following types of personal information:

3.1 Personal Information

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Address and postcode
• Email address
• Telephone number
• NHS number
• GP surgery details

3.2 Special Category Data (Health Information)

As a pharmacy, we process special category data concerning your health, including:

• Prescription information and medication history
• Medical conditions and allergies
• Health consultation records
• Vaccination records
• Blood pressure readings and other health measurements
• Information provided during pharmacy services (e.g., Pharmacy First consultations)

3.3 Technical Information

When you use our website, we may collect:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device information
• Pages visited and time spent
• Booking and appointment information

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

4.1 Providing Healthcare Services

• Dispensing prescriptions and managing your medication
• Providing pharmacy services (NHS and private)
• Conducting health consultations and assessments
• Administering vaccinations
• Processing appointments and bookings
• Maintaining accurate patient medication records (PMR)

4.2 Administrative Purposes

• Communicating with you about your prescriptions and appointments
• Sending appointment reminders
• Responding to your enquiries
• Processing payments for private services
• Managing pharmacy nominations

4.3 Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Complying with NHS contractual obligations
• Meeting regulatory requirements set by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Maintaining records as required by the Human Medicines Regulations 2013
• Reporting to relevant health authorities when required

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Performance of a task in the public interest: Dispensing NHS prescriptions and providing NHS-commissioned services
• Legal obligation: Maintaining patient medication records as required by law
• Contract: Providing private healthcare services you have requested
• Consent: Where you have given explicit consent for specific purposes
• Vital interests: In medical emergencies to protect your life or health

For special category health data, we rely on the condition that processing is necessary for the provision of healthcare or treatment.

6. Who We Share Your Data With

We may share your personal information with:

• NHS organisations: Including NHS England, Clinical Commissioning Groups, and the NHS Business Services Authority for prescription processing
• Your GP surgery: To ensure continuity of care and update your medical records
• Other healthcare providers: When necessary for your treatment or care
• Regulatory bodies: Such as the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and Care Quality Commission (CQC)
• Service providers: IT support, email services, and appointment booking systems who process data on our behalf under strict contractual terms

We will never sell your personal data to third parties or share it for marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data in accordance with legal requirements and professional guidelines:

• Patient medication records: Retained for a minimum of 8 years from the last entry, or until the patient reaches 25 years of age (whichever is longer) for children
• Prescription records: 2 years for NHS prescriptions, 2 years for private prescriptions
• Controlled drug registers: 2 years from the date of the last entry
• Service records: As required by specific NHS service specifications
• Website account data: Until you request deletion or close your account

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate information
• Right to erasure: You can request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
• Right to restrict processing: You can ask us to limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability: You can request your data in a machine-readable format
• Right to object: You can object to certain types of processing, including direct marketing
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided above. We will respond to your request within one month.

9. Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously and have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it, including:

• Encrypted data transmission using SSL/TLS technology
• Secure password-protected systems
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Staff training on data protection and confidentiality
• Physical security measures at our pharmacy premises
• Access controls limiting data access to authorised personnel only

10. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us:

• Remember your preferences
• Keep you signed in to your account
• Understand how you use our website
• Improve our services

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a new "Last updated" date.

12. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):