Privacy Policy

AMPCo Direct's privacy policy is based on the Privacy Act (1998) and the National Privacy Principles (NPPs). We abide by strict guidelines that demand we handle an individual's personal details responsibly. Our electronic commerce and privacy standards are derived from the world's best business practices.

Online Privacy Policy

Published by the Australasian Medical Publishing Company Proprietary Limited (AMPCo) ACN 000 005 854 - ABN 20 000 005 854

The Australasian Medical Publishing Company Proprietary Limited (AMPCo) is committed to the concepts contained in Australian privacy legislation - The Privacy Act (1988) and the National Privacy Principles (NPPs). We have been receiving information from and about Australian Medical Practitioners since 1948 for the purpose of preparing a comprehensive database used for the publication of The Medical Directory of Australia (MDA), and the dissemination of our medical journal, The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA).

We abide by strict guidelines that demand we handle an individual's personal details responsibly. Our electronic commerce and privacy standards are derived from the world's best business practices. This information sheet is to ensure that you are aware of a range of matters relating to our ongoing collection, use and disclosure of personal information about doctors. This includes the type of personal information that may be collected, the purpose for which the information is being collected, to whom it is usually disclosed, and other important matters in compliance with the Privacy legislation.

1. Data Collection

1.1 What personal information is collected?
AMPCo only collects information that is necessary for what functions and activities we do. Where it is practical to do so, we collect the information directly from the individual or take reasonable steps to verify information when received from third parties. We collect and will continue to collect personal information about doctors as a result of, and in connection with, our ongoing relationship and interaction with them. The information we collect about them is as completed by them in our Update Forms, or from them via the AMA, or from MJA Subscribers. Methods of collection of healthcare professionals' information include but are not limited to:

Publicly available sources
An "Update Your Entry in The Medical Directory of Australia" form which is sent to doctors asking them to update their existing details, and which offers Not For Publication (NFP) opt-out options
State Medical Register information
AMA
College, Association and Society member information
Hospital lists
Postgraduate Medical Council information
Updates from allied health professionals' associations
Mail returns
Telephone identification and verification
Doctors' practice or business staff.

We only collect personal information by lawful and fair means. This means we are never unreasonably intrusive.

If you have any specific questions about our handling of personal information, please contact:

The Privacy Officer
AMPCo
Locked Bag 3030
Strawberry Hills NSW 2012

or e-mail: privacyofficer@ampco.com.au

2. Use and Disclosure of Information

2.1 What will this personal information be used for?
Generally, we use the information we collect about healthcare professionals for the purpose of maintaining a medical directory database. Other than information an individual has marked on our update form as "Not For Publication" (NFP) information on the form may be used for:

Professional Career entries in The Medical Directory of Australia in hard copy and CD-ROM
For AMA member services
For the distribution of Medical journals and tabloids
For the distribution of Government Health Warnings
For Pharmaceutical Drug and Device Recalls
For AMPCo-approved companies (see 2.2 below) to communicate with doctors via direct mail and personal representation, for example
For Government research projects e.g. demographics
For AMPCo-approved internet health portal directories

We may also use the information we collect to keep individuals abreast of changes in our web site and to inform them about new products and services they might find worthwhile. We restrict the use of an individual's details to only that information that he or she has approved-for-publishing, and to only those organisations and individuals that we feel the individual would approve of. Organisations to which we provide doctors' personal information will only use it for the purposes for which it is collected or otherwise as permitted by law.

2.2 Who will this information be provided to?
We will maintain control and be responsible for the security of personal information we hold about doctors. We provide information that they provide us with via the Profile Update Form. In accordance with privacy legislation we are permitted to provide personal information about doctors without the doctor's consent to the following third parties:

Regulatory bodies (such as Government Health Departments for the purpose of the distribution of information concerning Government Health warnings and alerts, or drug/product recall) or where AMPCo is under a legal obligation to provide personal information to such a body.
Companies related to AMPCo such as the AMA, for the same kind of purposes as listed above.
If it is otherwise permitted or required by law.

In addition AMPCo discloses information about doctors to Pharmaceutical Companies, Hospitals and other Allied Health Care companies, and other commercial AMPCo-approved companies which have genuine and relevant product or service information to disseminate to doctors.

2.3 How medical practitioners can request removal of their details from direct mailing lists?
Completion of the Profile Update Form enable us to identify what categories of information and services medical practitioners would like to receive. However, if a medical practitioner wishes to remove his/her details from the list of names held by any one, or more of the organisations within a category of information he/she has indicated his/her interest in on Profile Update Form, he/she can contact AMPCo at the address above in 1.1to ensure that his/her details are removed from the database it holds.

However, removal from direct mailing lists may result in doctors not receiving all the information relevant to their profession.

3. Data Quality

We are committed to ensuring that, to the extent we are able, personal information collected, used and disclosed is accurate, complete and up-to-date. To do this we invest a lot of time, money and human resources to maximise the collection, maintenance and dissemination processes for our data. Our verification processes provide a high degree of assurance as to the legitimacy of the information we collect.

4. Data Security

The protection of personal information from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure is also of paramount importance to us.

All our staff have signed Confidential Information and Intellectual Property Agreements as part of their employment contracts with the company. These agreements cover disclosure, secrecy, and reproduction of information and requirements on termination of employment.

5. Openness

This document reflects our main policies for handling and management of personal information that we hold. Apart from the aforementioned Confidential Information & Intellectual Property Agreements, we also publish copyright notices which include terms and conditions of use of the data in, for example, the hard copy and CD-ROM versions of The Medical Directory of Australia.

6. Access and Correction

A healthcare professional can access his or her personal information that we hold by telephoning, faxing or e-mailing us and asking for a copy to be sent, subject to the required proof of identity being provided.

No fees or charges apply to any request to add, change or delete directory information.

7. Identifiers

AMPCo will not adopt, use or disclose, an identifier that has been assigned by an organisation to an individual to uniquely identify that individual for the purposes of that organisation's operations.

8. Anonymity

Wherever it is lawful and practicable, individuals have the option of not identifying themselves when entering transactions.

9. Transborder Data Flows

AMPCo will only transfer personal information outside Australia if the recipient of the information agrees with the conditions of use specified in the contract between AMPCo and the recipient. This includes complying with the conditions of this privacy policy.

10. Sensitive Information

AMPCo does not collect information about an individual for the purpose of identifying ethnic or racial origins, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious beliefs or affiliations, philosophical beliefs, membership of a professional or trade association (with the exception of recognised medical associations, colleges and societies), membership of a trade union, sexual preferences or practices, criminal record, or health information.

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