Privacy and consent
Plain language first, because a privacy policy you cannot understand protects nobody. The short version: your information stays in Canada, is used only for your care, and you control who else knows.
The plain-language summary
- We collect only what your assessment and care require.
- Your personal health information is encrypted in transit and at rest, and stored and processed in Canada.
- We handle information under BC's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and Canada's PIPEDA.
- We never send personal health information to analytics or marketing tools, and we do not sell or rent information to anyone.
- You choose your contact channels, and you choose whether your family doctor is informed.
- You can ask to see your information, correct it, or have it deleted, subject to health-record retention laws.
- You can withdraw consent at any time, and we explain what that means for your care when you do.
What we collect and why
| Information | Why it is needed |
|---|---|
| Contact details (name, email, mobile, address) | To communicate with you through channels you consent to, and to deliver medication if prescribed. |
| Identity and MSP details (date of birth, PHN, government ID) | So the clinician can verify who they are treating and bill MSP for eligible residents. ID is reviewed by a person and stored securely in Canada. We do not use automated facial recognition. |
| Health and screening information (AUDIT responses, health history, medications, withdrawal and safety questions) | So the clinician can make a safe, appropriate clinical decision. Screening scores are shared with the prescriber, not turned into labels on the site. |
| PharmaNet medication record (BC) | With your specific consent, a Carebridge pharmacist reviews your PharmaNet record while preparing your file, to confirm your medications and check for anything that would make an option unsafe. Every PharmaNet access is logged under BC's PharmaNet rules. You may decline and list your medications yourself instead. Any BC pharmacy that later dispenses a prescription for you is required to review PharmaNet at that time. |
| Medication label photos | If your prescriptions were filled outside BC, or you declined a PharmaNet review, you may photograph your medication labels. Photos are stored encrypted in Canada and viewed only by pharmacy staff and your clinician for medication verification. |
| Pharmacy records | Dispensing records are maintained by the dispensing pharmacy as required by law, including PharmaNet records under BC's system. |
Who sees your information
- Carebridge pharmacy staff: your intake, screening results, and identity document, for file review, verification, and arranging your assessment. Every access is logged.
- The assessing clinician at the partner clinic: your intake and screening results, for the clinical assessment.
- The dispensing pharmacy (Carebridge, or any pharmacy you choose): your prescription and the information needed to dispense safely, including PharmaNet review.
- Your family doctor: only with your consent. We recommend it and respect your choice.
- Nobody else, except where the law requires disclosure (for example, a court order or an imminent safety obligation). We describe support honestly rather than promising absolute secrecy no law allows.
Where your data lives
All personal health information is stored and processed on infrastructure located in Canada. Data is encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest. Access is limited to people who need it for your care or for the operation of the service, under confidentiality obligations.
Analytics and cookies
We use privacy-respecting, PIPEDA-appropriate analytics that measure page visits in aggregate. Personal health information, assessment answers, and anything you type into a form are never sent to analytics. Essential cookies or local storage keep you signed in and save your assessment progress on your device; they do not track you across other websites.
Your rights
- Access: ask for a copy of your information.
- Correction: ask us to fix inaccurate information.
- Deletion: ask for deletion of your account information. Clinical and pharmacy records are subject to legally required retention periods, which we will explain when you ask.
- Withdrawal of consent: withdraw any consent at any time, including consents given during intake. We will explain any effect on your care.
The organization responsible for your information is 1553084 B.C. Ltd., doing business as Carebridge Pharmacy. To exercise any of these rights, contact the privacy officer at [email protected], by phone at (604) 876-6410, or in writing at 101-4484 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5V 3R3. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia.
If something goes wrong
If a privacy breach ever affects your information, we commit to containing it, assessing the risk, notifying you and the appropriate authorities where required, and telling you honestly what happened and what we are doing about it.
Consent language used during intake
During the assessment you will be asked for four separate consents, each with its own checkbox: (1) consent for the clinician and pharmacy to review your PharmaNet medication record; (2) acknowledgement that completing an assessment does not guarantee a prescription; (3) consent to your information being handled on our secure platform with data residency in Canada under PIPA and PIPEDA; and (4) consent to information handling as described in this policy, which you may withdraw at any time. Separately, you choose your contact channels and whether your family doctor is informed.
This policy is reviewed by legal counsel before launch and updated as the service evolves. Last updated: July 2026.