Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Our Commitment to Privacy

At Strathcona Pharmacy, your privacy is important to us. As a community pharmacy, we understand that you trust us with sensitive information — and we take that responsibility seriously.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you use our website (strathconarx.ca). We've written this policy in plain language so you can easily understand our practices.

By using our website, you consent to the collection and use of information as described in this policy. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us.

2. Applicable Privacy Legislation

As a pharmacy operating in Alberta, Canada, we comply with the following privacy laws:

• PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act) — The federal privacy law that governs how private-sector organizations collect, use, and disclose personal information in the course of commercial activities.
• PIPA (Personal Information Protection Act — Alberta) — Alberta's provincial private-sector privacy law, which provides similar protections and has been deemed substantially similar to PIPEDA.
• HIA (Health Information Act — Alberta) — Alberta's law governing the collection, use, and disclosure of health information by custodians, including pharmacies. This applies to health information we handle in providing pharmacy services.

We are committed to meeting or exceeding the requirements of these laws to protect your personal and health information.

3. What Personal Information We Collect

We collect personal information through our website only when you voluntarily provide it by submitting a form. We do not require you to create an account, and we do not process online payments.

Prescription Refill/Transfer Request Form

When you submit a prescription request, we collect:

• Your name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Date of birth
• Prescription details (medication name, prescription number)
• Prescriber name (if applicable)
• Transfer pharmacy information (if transferring)

Contact Form

When you submit a general inquiry, we collect:

• Your name
• Email address
• Phone number (optional)
• Your message

Automatically Collected Information

Like most websites, our hosting provider (Vercel) may automatically collect basic technical information such as:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring website
• Date and time of visits

This information is collected in aggregate for security and performance purposes and is not used to personally identify you.

4. Why We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information only for specific, legitimate purposes:

• To process prescription refill or transfer requests — We need your contact and prescription information to verify your request and notify you when it's ready.
• To respond to your inquiries — When you contact us with questions, we use your information to respond.
• To provide pharmacy services — Information collected via forms helps us prepare to serve you when you visit or receive delivery.
• To maintain website security and performance — Basic technical data helps us ensure the website functions properly.

We will not use your personal information for any purpose other than what you provided it for, unless required by law or with your consent.

5. How We Use Your Information

When you submit a form on our website, here's what happens:

1. Your form submission is sent to us via email using a secure transactional email service (Resend).
2. Our pharmacy team reviews your request and contacts you by phone or email to confirm details.
3. We process your request (prepare your prescription, respond to your inquiry, etc.).
4. Your information is retained only as long as necessary to fulfill the request.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We will never share your information except as described in this policy.

6. Third-Party Service Providers

We use a limited number of trusted third-party services to operate our website. These providers may have access to certain information as necessary to perform their functions:

Vercel (Website Hosting)

Our website is hosted on Vercel, a cloud platform. Vercel may collect basic server logs (IP addresses, request data) for security and performance monitoring. Vercel's privacy policy can be found at vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy.

Resend (Email Delivery)

Form submissions are delivered to us via Resend, a transactional email service. Resend processes the email content (including your form data) solely to deliver it to us. Resend's privacy policy can be found at resend.com/legal/privacy-policy.

Future Analytics (Placeholder)

Currently, we do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or other third-party tracking services. If we add analytics tools in the future, we will update this policy and, where required, obtain your consent.

7. Health Information

When you submit prescription-related information through our website, you may be providing health information. We want you to understand how this is handled:

• This website is not a health record system. Your official pharmacy records and health information are maintained in our secure in-pharmacy systems, not on this website.
• Form submissions are requests, not records. Information you submit via our website forms is used to initiate requests, which are then processed through our pharmacy's secure systems.
• HIA compliance. As a pharmacy, we are a "custodian" under Alberta's Health Information Act. All health information we collect, use, and disclose — whether online or in-pharmacy — is handled in accordance with HIA requirements.
• Secure handling. We take precautions to protect any health information submitted through our forms, including encryption in transit.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information collected through our website only as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected:

• Form submissions: Retained until your request is processed and any reasonable follow-up period has passed, then securely deleted.
• Email correspondence: Retained as part of our normal business records for a reasonable period.
• Server logs: Automatically deleted according to our hosting provider's retention policies (typically 30 days or less).

Note that your in-pharmacy health records are subject to different retention requirements under the Health Information Act and pharmacy regulations, which require us to keep certain records for extended periods.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website currently uses minimal cookies — only those essential for the website to function properly (such as remembering your preferences during a session). We do not use cookies for advertising or tracking purposes.

We do not currently use:

• Google Analytics or other analytics tracking
• Facebook Pixel or social media tracking
• Advertising cookies or retargeting
• Third-party tracking scripts

If we add analytics or tracking tools in the future, we will update this policy and provide appropriate notice and consent mechanisms.

10. Your Privacy Rights

Under PIPEDA and Alberta's PIPA, you have important rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to Access: You can request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: You can request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You can withdraw your consent to our collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. We will explain the implications of withdrawal.
• Right to Complain: If you believe we have not handled your information properly, you can file a complaint with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta (OIPC).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided at the end of this policy. We will respond to your request within 30 days, as required by law.

11. Security Measures

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure:

• Encryption: Our website uses HTTPS/SSL encryption to protect data transmitted between your browser and our website.
• Secure hosting: Our website is hosted on a reputable cloud platform with industry-standard security measures.
• Limited access: Only authorized pharmacy staff have access to form submissions and personal information.
• No unnecessary data collection: We only collect information that is necessary for the stated purposes.

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. If you have concerns about submitting sensitive information online, please contact us by phone or visit us in person.

12. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors without parental or guardian consent.

If a parent or guardian needs to submit a prescription request on behalf of a minor child, the parent or guardian should complete the form. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor without appropriate consent, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
• For significant changes, we may provide additional notice (such as a notice on our homepage).
• Your continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

14. Contact Us / Privacy Inquiries

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concern, you may contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta.