The SHIFTing Focus medical education website is a sub-site of the EMPOWERED online medical education platform. The sub-site was organized and fully funded by Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Australia) Pty Ltd (“Vertex”). The SHIFTing Focus website (as well as its parent website, the EMPOWERED independent medical education platform) is provided by The Med Collective Pty Ltd (ABN 60 610 049 904).

Together, Vertex and The Med Collective take the privacy of our website users and the security of their personal information very seriously. Vertex and The Med Collective comply with applicable privacy laws. Details of The SHIFTing Focus website privacy policy are provided below. Details of the Vertex International Privacy Policy can be accessed at https://global.vrtx.com/english-privacy-non-us-residents.

For your convenience, this website contains links to a number of other websites external to the SHIFTing Focus website and its parent website, the EMPOWERED online independent medical education. The privacy policies and procedures described here do not apply to those external sites; we suggest contacting those sites directly for information on their data collection and distribution policies.

The purpose of this privacy policy is to set out the principles governing our use of personal information that we may obtain for SHIFTing Focus. By using the website, you agree to this use. We ask you to read this privacy policy carefully; any dispute which may arise over privacy will be subject to this policy, the data protection notice (if any) incorporated into this website and the provisions of The Australian Privacy Principles. Important: we also recommend all users of the SHIFTing Focus website familiarize themselves with the Vertex International Privacy Policy, which also applies to SHIFTing Focus and can be accessed at https://global.vrtx.com/english-privacy-non-us-residents.

The Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in the Privacy Act 1988 are to be applied and complied with by The Med Collective Pty Ltd in relation to the collection, retention, use and disclosure of personal information.

This policy acknowledges and draws on relevant Guidelines published by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner www.oaic.gov.au.

Consideration of personal information privacy

Australian Privacy Principle 1: Open and transparent management of personal information

Australian Privacy Principle 2: Anonymity and pseudonymity.

Changes to our privacy policy

We may change the SHIFTing Focus website privacy policy from time to time. We therefore ask you to check it occasionally to ensure that you are aware of the most recent version that will apply each time you access this website.

Personal information collection and use

The Med Collective Pty Ltd will only collect personally identifiable data, such as (but not limited to) your name or email address, when it is voluntarily submitted to us. The Med Collective Pty Ltd, and the third-party companies, partners and sponsors we work with, will use this information to comply with your request for education and/or information or as otherwise disclosed to you when you submit your information.

From time to time, we may refer to that information to better understand your needs and how we can improve our services. We may use that information to contact you. From time to time, we may share deidentified aggregate data with third-party partners or sponsors for the sole purposes of tracking or reporting on education program uptake and completion. We will not otherwise transfer the personally identifiable information you provide to any third party or sponsor unless otherwise disclosed to you.

Non-personal information collection and use

In common with many organisations, we monitor the use of this website by collecting aggregate information. We may automatically collect non-personal information about you such as the type of internet browsers you use, the pages you visit or the website which directed you to our site. You cannot be identified from this information and it is used only to assist us in providing an effective service on this website.

Use of cookies

These allow you to carry information across our site without having to re-enter it; it also enables us to analyse web traffic and improve our on-line services. They cannot be used to identify you. You may set your web browser to notify you of cookie placement requests or to decline cookies completely. You can delete the files that contain cookies; those files are stored as part of your internet browser.

How you can access your personal information

You have a right to access your personal information, subject to some exceptions allowed by law. If you would like to do so, you will need to put your request in writing for security reasons, and send it by email to: privacy@empoweredonline.com.au. Furthermore, you may access the information Vertex holds about you by writing to the Privacy Officer at privacy@vrtx.com.

The Med Collective Pty Ltd reserve the right to charge a fee for searching for and providing access to your information. Although no fee will be charged for accessing your personal information or making a correction, we may charge a fee to retrieve and copy any material.

How to contact us and privacy complaints

If you have any questions, concerns, complaints or you think there has been a breach of privacy, then please contact privacy@empoweredonline.com.au. If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint within 30 days from your enquiry, then you can refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner: call 1300 363 992.

– If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use National Relay Service: http://relayservice.com.au.

– Email enquiries@oaic.gov.au.

– Online form: https://forms.business.gov.au/smartforms/landing.htm?formCode=APC_PC

Note: The passage of the Privacy Act – the Privacy Amendment (Notifiable Data Breaches) Act 2017 – established the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme in Australia. The NDB scheme applies to all agencies and organisations with existing personal information and security obligations under the Australian Privacy Act from 22 February 2018. As at July 2022, with an annual turnover of less than $3 million, The Med Collective Pty Ltd is not required to comply with the NDB scheme. However, should a breach occur please contact privacy@empoweredonline.com.au, and we will make a determination if action should be taken.