COVID-19 privacy notice

This supplementary privacy notice is to make it easier to understand and provide you with more information about how Royal Pharmaceutical Society may seek to collect and hold information about you in relation to the unprecedented challenges we are all facing during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

At this time, we may seek to collect and process your personal data in response to the recent outbreak of coronavirus, which is above and beyond what would ordinarily be collected in order to ensure your safety and well-being.

Such information will be limited to what is proportionate and necessary, taking into account the latest guidance issued by the Government and health professionals, in order to manage and contain the virus. 

It will enable RPS to effectively ensure the safe and effective use of medicines at this critical time, put contingency plans into place to safeguard those vulnerable and aid business continuity.

What personal data is being collected?

In order to best respond and help coordinate the pharmacy community response for COVID 19 it is necessary to collect:

Basic details about you including your name, email address, your involvement with pharmacy, post code, and date of birth as a registered user of this site.

Who is processing your data?

All personal data held, is processed in accordance with data protection law. The Data Controller for the information outlined in this privacy notice is Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

How we will use the information we hold about you?

We will use the information you provide to:

  • Keep you up to date with the latest news, advice and guidance
  • Connect you with the wider expert pharmacy community as part of the COVID-19 response
  • To analyse your information in order to improve the services we offer
  • To follow up on any information or insight you provide us with about your experiences and learnings of COVID-19.

What is your lawful basis for processing your personal data?

The legal basis for processing the data is: -

(a) it is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of individuals in the United Kingdom (I.e. patients, pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists) in monitoring and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

(b) it is necessary for the performance of tasks carried out by RPS in the public interest in order to deal with the outbreak of COVID-19. (c) it is in our legitimate interests as the representative body for pharmacists in order to achieve our Royal Charter objectives to promote good pharmacy practice and advance the safe use of medicines.

Who we will share your information with?

We will normally only share your information with other partner organisations as part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

We will not share your information with anyone else unless required to do so under additional legal requirements, for example, to assist the government in containing the spread of COVID-19. This may be where we are required to do so by law, to safeguard public safety, and in risk of harm or emergency situations.

Any information which is shared will only be shared on a need to know basis, with appropriate individuals. Only the minimum information for the purpose will be shared.

How long will my personal data be retained by RPS?

RPS will keep your identity data for 2 years after your last login activity on the website. This is in alignment with our standard retention policy for registered users of this site.

Your rights

As with our existing privacy policy which is still applicable, if you are not happy about the way your personal data is being processed as outlined in this notice, you can complain directly to RPS’s Data Protection team by email: [email protected]

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

If you require further information about how we process your personal data, you can contact the Data Protection Officer via: [email protected]

Further advice and guidance from the ICO on this issue can be found on the ICO website.