Effective Date: October 13, 2026 | Last Updated: October 13, 2026
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
Apple Hills Medical Pharmacy (“Apple Hills,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is a community pharmacy located at 1221 Bloor Street, Mississauga, Ontario, L4Y 2N8. We have been serving the community since 1996 and are committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and security of our patients’ personal information and personal health information.
Apple Hills operates as a traditional, brick-and-mortar community pharmacy. Our services include prescription dispensing, medication counselling, telephone-based virtual minor ailment assessments, and prescription delivery. We do not operate as an online pharmacy and do not offer online payment processing or an online prescription checkout system.
We handle personal information in accordance with applicable privacy laws, including Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), and applicable legal, regulatory, and professional requirements.
This Privacy Policy explains the information we collect, how we use and disclose it, the safeguards we employ, how long we retain it, and how patients can exercise their privacy rights.
Information We Collect
We collect personal information and personal health information as reasonably necessary to provide pharmacy services and meet our legal and professional obligations.
- Personal and Contact Information
- Full name and date of birth.
- Home address, telephone number, and email address.
- Ontario health card information or other identification information where required.
- Contact information for an authorized representative, caregiver, or designated delivery recipient.
- Personal Health Information
- Prescription records and medication history.
- Medication names, strengths, dosage instructions, dispensing records, and refill information.
- Medical conditions, symptoms, allergies, and relevant medical history.
- Information received from prescribers, other pharmacies, and healthcare professionals.
- Clinical notes and documentation relating to medication counselling, medication reviews, and minor ailment assessments.
- Treatment recommendations, prescriptions issued by authorized pharmacy professionals, referrals, and follow-up documentation.
- Prescription Delivery Information
When arranging delivery, we may collect:
- The delivery address and contact information.
- Information necessary to identify the prescription and coordinate delivery.
- Confirmation that payment requirements have been met.
- Special storage or handling instructions, including refrigeration requirements.
- Information identifying the intended recipient or an authorized representative.
- Recipient identification verification records, signatures, delivery dates, delivery status, and unsuccessful delivery attempts.
- Payment and Transaction Information
We collect information necessary to process payments, verify payment completion, maintain transaction records, and fulfill financial and legal obligations.
Our accepted payment methods for prescription delivery are:
- Credit card payment over the telephone before dispatch.
- Cash payment to the delivery driver in exact change, where this method is offered.
We do not offer online payment processing or an online checkout system.
With the patient’s consent, credit card information may be stored in the pharmacy’s password-protected pharmacy management software within the patient’s profile. Stored card information is accessed only when needed to process payment for the patient’s medication after the patient’s consent has been obtained.
Access to stored payment information is restricted to authorized personnel for the purposes described above. We take reasonable steps to protect stored payment information and handle it in accordance with applicable privacy and payment security requirements.
- Website Information
Our website is informational and provides general pharmacy and contact information. It does not provide online payment processing or an online prescription checkout service. Our website does not use cookies, website tracking technologies, or analytics tools to monitor visitors’ browsing activity.
If you contact us using the contact information published on our website, we may collect the information you voluntarily provide.
How We Use Your Information
We use personal information and personal health information for purposes related to providing healthcare and operating our pharmacy, including:
- Receiving, verifying, dispensing, and documenting prescriptions.
- Reviewing medications, identifying potential drug interactions, and providing medication counselling.
- Conducting eligible telephone-based minor ailment assessments.
- Communicating with prescribers, other healthcare professionals, and authorized representatives where appropriate and legally permitted.
- Arranging prescription deliveries and confirming receipt by the intended patient or an authorized representative.
- Verifying payment before dispatch when required.
- Processing telephone credit card payments and reconciling cash collected by delivery drivers.
- Maintaining clinical, transaction, and delivery records.
- Providing appropriate medication storage and handling.
- Responding to patient inquiries, complaints, and requests.
- Investigating medication incidents, delivery issues, suspected fraud, and privacy incidents.
- Meeting legal, regulatory, professional, documentation, and audit obligations.
- Improving the quality and safety of pharmacy services where permitted by law.
We limit our collection, use, and disclosure of personal health information to what is reasonably necessary for the identified purpose, except where additional collection, use, or disclosure is permitted or required by law.
Telephone-Based Virtual Minor Ailment Assessments
Apple Hills may provide telephone-based assessments for eligible minor ailments in accordance with applicable Ontario requirements and the pharmacist’s authorized scope of practice.
During an assessment, we may collect information about symptoms, relevant medical history, current medications, allergies, and other information necessary to assess the patient’s needs.
This information may be used to:
- Assess reported symptoms and determine whether the service is appropriate.
- Provide treatment recommendations or prescribe medication when legally authorized and clinically appropriate.
- Recommend further assessment by another healthcare professional when indicated.
- Document clinical findings, decisions, treatment, and follow-up recommendations.
- Arrange dispensing and delivery of medication where appropriate.
Not every patient or condition will be suitable for assessment or treatment by telephone.
Telephone assessment calls are not routinely recorded. Relevant clinical information is documented in the pharmacy’s electronic patient record system as required for patient care and applicable documentation obligations.
Prescription Delivery and Recipient Verification
Prescription delivery is provided as an extension of our physical community pharmacy services. We use contracted delivery personnel to transport prescriptions to patients or their authorized representatives.
- Payment Requirements
Full payment of the applicable amount owing is required before dispatch when the prescription is being sent under our prepaid delivery arrangement. Telephone credit card payments are processed before dispatch. Where cash on delivery is offered, the recipient must provide exact change to the delivery driver.
Where a patient has authorized the use of a credit card stored in the pharmacy’s secure software, that information may be accessed to process payment for the patient’s medication.
- Recipient Identification and Signature
The patient or an authorized, designated representative must be available to receive the prescription. Delivery personnel are required to identify the recipient at delivery and obtain a signature as proof of receipt.
Identification verification and signature records help confirm that the prescription was delivered to the intended recipient or an authorized representative.
- Refrigerated, Controlled, and Narcotic Medications
Additional care is taken when arranging delivery of medications requiring refrigeration, controlled substances, narcotics, or other medications subject to special handling, storage, or security requirements.
Applicable requirements for identification, recipient verification, handling, storage, and delivery are followed. A signature does not replace any additional legal or professional requirements that apply to a particular medication.
- Delivery Records
We may maintain delivery records containing the delivery address, date and time, recipient verification information, signature, delivery status, payment confirmation where applicable, and relevant delivery issues.
These records are used to verify receipt, investigate disputes, support medication safety, reconcile payments, and meet applicable legal and professional obligations.
- Contracted Delivery Personnel
Apple Hills Medical Pharmacy uses contracted delivery personnel. Our delivery contracts address confidentiality and the appropriate handling of patient information.
Delivery personnel receive information reasonably necessary to complete their assigned deliveries. This may include the recipient’s name, delivery address, contact information, identification verification requirements, and relevant medication handling instructions.
We limit the information shared with delivery personnel to what is reasonably necessary to complete the delivery safely and appropriately. Delivery information is used to coordinate delivery, verify receipt, resolve delivery issues, and meet applicable legal and professional obligations.
- Unsuccessful Deliveries
If the patient or authorized representative is unavailable, identification cannot be appropriately verified, or delivery cannot be completed safely, the prescription may be returned to the pharmacy and alternative arrangements made.
Medications will not be left unattended where doing so would compromise patient confidentiality, medication security, required storage conditions, or applicable legal and professional requirements.
Consent and Disclosure of Information
Apple Hills collects, uses, and discloses personal health information with the patient’s consent where required, or where otherwise permitted or required by law.
Consent may be express or implied where permitted by PHIPA. Patients may withhold or withdraw consent where legally permitted, subject to applicable legal, regulatory, and professional obligations.
We may disclose personal health information, as authorized or required by law, to:
- Prescribers, physicians, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare professionals involved in patient care.
- Other pharmacies and healthcare organizations where disclosure is permitted for healthcare or another lawful purpose.
- Authorized caregivers, substitute decision-makers, or designated representatives where legally permitted.
- Contracted delivery personnel to the extent necessary to complete an authorized delivery.
- Payment service providers and other service providers to the extent necessary to perform their authorized functions.
- Regulatory authorities, law enforcement agencies, courts, or other public bodies when disclosure is legally authorized or required.
- Other recipients where the patient has provided valid consent or another lawful basis for disclosure applies.
We do not sell patients’ personal health information or disclose it to third parties for their independent commercial use.
Where third-party service providers assist with pharmacy operations, we take reasonable steps to ensure that information is handled appropriately and access is limited to what is necessary for the services provided.
Marketing and Promotional Communications
We do not use or disclose personal health information for marketing purposes unless the required consent has been obtained or the activity is otherwise permitted by applicable law.
Where consent is required for promotional communications, patients may withdraw that consent in accordance with applicable requirements. Withdrawing marketing consent will not affect access to pharmacy services otherwise available to the patient.
Safeguarding Personal Information
Apple Hills takes reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect personal information and personal health information against unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, loss, theft, and disposal.
Our safeguards include:
- Restricting access to patient records to authorized personnel who require the information to perform their duties.
- Maintaining patient and prescription records in pharmacy management software protected by password-based access controls.
- Restricting access to stored credit card information to authorized personnel and using it only for medication payments after the patient’s consent has been obtained.
- Ensuring contracted delivery arrangements address confidentiality and appropriate handling of patient information.
- Verifying recipients and obtaining delivery signatures in accordance with our delivery procedures.
- Handling prescriptions, delivery documents, and payment information securely.
- Retaining and disposing of records in accordance with applicable requirements.
- Responding to suspected privacy breaches and unauthorized disclosures in accordance with applicable requirements.
We periodically review our information-handling practices and take reasonable steps to maintain appropriate safeguards.
No information system or communication method can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We take reasonable steps to protect information and maintain appropriate privacy practices.
Retention and Disposal of Information
We retain personal information and personal health information for as long as necessary to provide pharmacy services, maintain accurate patient records, document transactions and deliveries, and fulfill applicable legal, regulatory, and professional obligations.
Retention periods vary according to the type of record and the requirements that apply.
When records are no longer required to be retained, they are securely destroyed, erased, or otherwise disposed of in accordance with our procedures and applicable law.
Access to and Correction of Personal Health Information
Patients may request access to their personal health information and request corrections to their records, subject to applicable law and any relevant exceptions.
Requests should be directed to the Privacy Officer using the contact information in Section 14.
We may request sufficient information to verify the identity and authority of the person making the request before responding.
If a request is refused in whole or in part, we will explain the decision and any applicable rights to review or complain, as required by law.
Privacy Complaints and Breaches
Patients who believe their personal information or personal health information has been accessed, used, or disclosed improperly, or who have concerns about our privacy practices, may contact our Privacy Officer.
We will review and investigate privacy concerns in accordance with our procedures and applicable legal requirements.
Where required by law, we will notify affected individuals and report privacy breaches to the appropriate authorities.
Patients may also contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario regarding their rights under PHIPA or to make a privacy complaint.
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
Website: https://www.ipc.on.ca/
Website Privacy
The Apple Hills Medical Pharmacy website is informational and provides general pharmacy and contact information. It does not offer online prescription checkout or online payment processing.
Our website does not use cookies, website tracking technologies, or analytics tools to monitor visitors’ browsing activity.
Patients who contact the pharmacy by telephone or email may provide personal information that we use to respond to their inquiries or provide pharmacy services. Any personal information provided directly to the pharmacy is handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
If our website practices or technologies change, we will review and update this policy as appropriate.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, operations, technologies, or legal and regulatory obligations.
The current version will be made available at the pharmacy and, where applicable, on our website. The effective date at the beginning of the policy identifies the current version.
Contact Information and Privacy Officer
For questions about this Privacy Policy, requests to access or correct personal health information, or concerns about our privacy practices, please contact:
Apple Hills Medical Pharmacy
1221 Bloor Street
Mississauga, Ontario L4Y 2N8
Telephone: 905-625-3268
Email: applehill1221@gmail.com
Privacy Officer: Pharmacy Owner
We are committed to addressing privacy inquiries, access and correction requests, and complaints in a timely and appropriate manner.
