Changes to Commonwealth Privacy Legislation Effective From Today

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia have developed jointly a suite of resources to help pharmacists meet changes to Commonwealth Privacy legislation which are effective from today, 12 March
While compliance with the Commonwealth Privacy Act has always been compulsory, pharmacists should be aware that as part of the changes pharmacists and pharmacies will need to comply with the new “Australian Privacy Principles.”
The amendments also give the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner enhanced powers, including the ability to assess privacy performance and to seek penalties for serious or repeated breaches of privacy.
The nature of the information collected by pharmacists and pharmacy staff every day, combined with the growth in electronic collection, storage and use of customer data, highlights the need for pharmacists, pharmacies and their staff to ensure they comply with the new privacy laws.
While most pharmacists know they have a responsibility to comply with privacy legislation, there is understandably likely to be little awareness of the detail of the reforms which come into effect from today. Accordingly, the newly developed suite of resources include guides, forms and templates as well as case study scenarios.
Information about the new privacy laws can be found at www.guild.org.au or at www.psa.org.au .