With institutions and organisations

Disclosure and elimination of violations of the law related to the processing of personal data of patients and employees of public pharmacies – this is the main objective of the agreement signed on 7 December 2023 between the President of the Personal Data Protection Office and the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector.

Wiretapping in the network of one of the pharmacies – this is a topic that has recently been widely discussed in the media. The pharmacists themselves but also by the patients were appalled by the case. And the elimination of such negative phenomena in pharmacies is to be facilitated by the agreement signed between the President of the Personal Data Protection Office and the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector.

"The initiative of cooperation with the CPI and the Personal Data Protection Office in the field of clarification of potential practices of recording patients and pharmacists in pharmacies was taken by Ewa Krajewska, as the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector. Regardless of the written correspondence between the two authorities, on 13 November 2023 a meeting was held at the seat of the Personal Data Protection Office, which culminated in today's signing of an agreement that de facto concerns the broadly understood cooperation between the CPI and the Personal Data Protection Office, while maintaining the competences of both authorities. It is worth noting that the cooperation will also focus on educating entrepreneurs running public pharmacies on the nature and importance of the data they process," said Marcin Wójtowicz, Director General of CPI.

"These are not the only irregularities related to the protection of personal data that pharmacies have to deal with. And given that special category of data, data on patients' health, is processed there, they require special protection and care. Therefore, it is extremely important in such places to create conditions that allow for an adequate response to ensure an appropriate level of data security and prevent breaches. I am convinced that this agreement will not only contribute to better protection of patients, but also to supporting controllers in the processing of sensitive data about the health of all of us," said Jakub Groszkowski, Deputy President of the Personal Data Protection Office.

The two institutions will provide each other with information that will enable them to take effective action to identify and eliminate breaches of data protection rules. As part of the cooperation, CPI and the Personal Data Protection Office may also organise joint meetings related to breaches related to the processing of personal data of patients and pharmacy employees.

It is worth mentioning that the agreement formalises the already existing cooperation between the two institutions, which is aimed at more effective fulfilment of tasks resulting from the General Data Protection Regulation and the Pharmaceutical Law.

The signed agreement also provides for the possibility of undertaking joint activities to increase awareness of personal data protection in pharmacies. The Personal Data Protection Office and CPI will be able to jointly organize, inter alia, conferences, seminars, trainings, and other educational initiatives.