Privacy Policy
This privacy policy sets out how we, Opti-Pharm Pty Ltd (ACN 110 511 629) trading as Higeia (“we”), treat the privacy of customers, users of our services, platform, and websites, our suppliers and providers, and others we interact with or about whom we obtain personal information. We respect the privacy rights of individuals and are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Australian privacy laws, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles therein. This policy details how we collect, store, use and disclose personal information.
Personal Information
In this privacy policy, the term “personal information” has the meaning it has in the Privacy Act (1988) (Cth). The term includes information (including opinions) about identifiable individuals, including names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, signatures, and information about professional qualifications, and Medicare numbers. It also includes information that constitutes “sensitive information” as defined under the Privacy Act, including health information, medical and treatment history, details of health services provided to you (including through practitioners engaged through the Higeia program), and details of other lifestyle information about you relevant to our services. Sensitive information can also include information about racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, and sexual orientation or practices, although it is rare for us to collect such information.
1. Collection and Storage of Personal Information and Data
We collect some personal information about individuals. The personal information we collect from or about you could include your name, email address, telephone number, address and other contact details, date of birth, credit card details, and details of your employer or other business you work for or represent, as well as some sensitive information as defined above (such as medical and health information).
We collect personal information in a lawful and fair way and in a not unreasonably intrusive manner. In many cases, we collect personal information about you from you directly, but we may also need to collect information from others such as health service providers. We collect personal information in circumstances including the following:
- (a) when you telephone us, or visit our website and provide feedback, ask questions, or you make an enquiry to which a later response is requested and to do so requires your contact details
- (b) when you become a client/customer of our business;
- (c) when you provide medical information to a medical practitioner engaged through the Higeia platform, as this material is visible to us;
- (d) through written correspondence from you, including letters and emails;
- (e) when we obtain information about you in order to provide and tailor our goods/services to you;
- (f) to arrange payments for our services;
- (g) when you ask to be included on marketing distribution lists, sign up to our website or interact with us on social media;
- (h) when as an actual or prospective supplier or provider your contact and other details are provided;
- (i) when we negotiate or enter into an agreement with you for the provision to you or acquisition from you of goods or services;
- (j) when we receive applications for employment and when evaluating job applicants and personnel, which may include collection of details such as employment history and educational qualifications. In such cases we may also conduct reference checks of third parties and other screening checks.
2. Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
We use the personal information collected from you for the purpose it was provided or collected. We use and disclose personal information in the following ways:
- (a) For the purposes of collection described in (1) above;
- (b) To provide our goods and services (including the Higeia platform and goods and services obtained through using it);
- (c) To liaise with practitioners engaged to provide consultation and prescribing services through the Higeia platform;
- (d) To process, confirm, fulfil and update you about and to carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us;
- (e) To respond to enquiries received from you;
- (f) To perform authorised financial transactions with you;
- (g) To analyse purchasing decisions and provide goods and services to you and to tailor possible service solutions and programs to you, as a customer or potential customer;
- (h) To communicate with you and provide you with information (whether by email, post or other means) about our goods and services, where you have requested or consented to receiving this from us or where this provision is otherwise permitted at law;
- (i) To notify you about changes to our provision of goods and services, or policies and agreements relating thereto;
- (j) To receive and address feedback from you;
- (k) To protect our legal interests and fulfil our regulatory obligations (if and to the extent necessary);
- (l) in other circumstances, with your prior consent, or in circumstances where you would reasonably expect us to disclose that information, or where it is unreasonable or impractical to obtain your consent and the use is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to the life, health or safety of any person;
- (m) where otherwise permitted or required by law, including to comply with any court order, subpoena and the like.
3. Other Disclosures
We may also disclose your personal information to third parties outside our company:
- (a) Where we have your express permission to do so;
- (b) Where it can reasonably be inferred from the circumstances that you consent to the disclosure to the third parties;
- (c) If all or substantially all of our assets or a part of our business is acquired by a third party, in which case personal information which we hold about our customers may be one of the transferred assets (subject to the same constraints on use and disclosure as under this policy);
- (d) If we are under a duty to or are otherwise permitted to disclose or share your personal information in order to comply with any legal obligation, or in order to enforce or apply our terms and conditions or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our personnel or customers. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organisations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction.
4. Security of Personal Information
We take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information, including by implementing internal and external security, restricting access to personal information to those who have a need to know, maintaining technological products to prevent unauthorised computer access, and regularly reviewing our technology to maintain security. We use secure methods of storage for physical materials containing personal information. We retain your personal information for the time periods required by law, following which we will delete, dispose of or de-identify the information. In the event of a notifiable data breach (as defined in the Privacy Act) we will take such steps as are necessary or we consider appropriate to address the same in accordance with that legislation.
5. Disclosure and Transfer of Information Overseas
We do not currently disclose or transfer personal information outside Australia. Unless we have your consent, or an exception under the Australian Privacy Principles applies, we will only disclose your personal information to overseas recipients where we have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the overseas recipient does not breach the Australian Privacy Principles in relation to your personal information.
6. Cookies
We may use ‘cookies’ to collect data (not personal information) relating to your general usage of our website. This data may include IP-addresses, browser versions, number of visits and similar such data relating to your navigation of the internet and our site. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your computer or device’s hard drive. Cookies help us to improve our site and to deliver a better and more tailored service, for instance by storing information about your preferences and allowing us to recognise you when you return to our site.
You may refuse to accept cookies by activating settings on your internet browser.
7. Questions and Concerns and Access to/ Correction or Updating of Your Personal Information
You have a right to access and correct the personal information we hold about you. To obtain a copy of the personal information we hold about you, please write to us at:
The Regulatory Officer
info@higeia.com.au
Please provide sufficient detail about the information in question to help us locate it. We will then use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly determine if there is a problem and take the necessary corrective action within a reasonable time. You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner www.oaic.gov.au for information about your privacy rights.
8. Changes to Our Privacy Policy
We may modify, alter or otherwise update this privacy policy at any time. We will post revisions on our website. We encourage you to review this policy from time to time.
Last update: January 2025
