Did You Know That It Is Privacy Awareness Week?

Did you know that Privacy Awareness Week will take place from 1 – 7 May 2023?

Privacy Awareness Week is a global campaign that highlights the importance of privacy and raises awareness about how to protect the personal information of people we serve.

In recognition of this, Privacy Awareness Week is an excellent opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance of patient privacy, and to review our policies and practices to ensure that we are meeting the highest standards of privacy protection.

Protecting Patient Data
Under Australian privacy requirements, pharmacies are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), which sets out a range of privacy principles that must be adhered to. These principles include the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information, as well as the storage and security of that information.

All healthcare providers in Australia have professional and legal obligations to protect their patient’s health information. Establishing and maintaining information security practices is an essential professional and legal requirement when using digital health systems to deliver healthcare services.

You can’t have Privacy without Security
Privacy and security are closely related concepts, and it’s important to understand how they are interdependent and why they are both crucial for protecting personal information.
It’s important to recognise that privacy and security are mutually dependent and complementary concepts. Without security, there can be no privacy, since personal information that is not adequately protected may be accessed, used, or disclosed without the individual’s consent or knowledge.
Similarly, without privacy, security measures may be insufficient or inadequate, since personal information that is not appropriately controlled may be subject to unauthorised access, use, or disclosure, even if security measures are in place.

In Summary
Privacy Awareness Week presents an ideal opportunity to evaluate your current privacy and security practices. It’s advisable to explore the resources provided by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and other local government sites dedicated to Privacy Awareness Week. Failing to manage and safeguard your patient data can have significant financial and reputational consequences for your pharmacy.
It’s imperative to protect your patient data using robust physical and technical security controls. Relying solely on antivirus software isn’t sufficient, and you risk non-compliance with the relevant legislation. Besides, it’s crucial to have a plan in place to handle a cyber incident or any data breach that may occur, including notifying your customers and the OAIC.
To learn more about Privacy Awareness Week, visit the following links:
• https://education.oaic.gov.au/paw2023/
• https://www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/PAW2023
• https://ovic.vic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-awareness-week/

If you are worried about the security of your pharmacy systems and want to know how you can implement strong security in your pharmacy and protect yourself from ransomware and data breaches or improve your pharmacy cyber security speak to your Corum Customer Success Manager or contact us on 1300 669 865.