Sandoz Privacy Policy


Who We Are

Thank you for your trust in Sandoz Inc. (“Sandoz”), and for taking the time to read our Privacy Policy (this “Policy”).  We are an affiliate of the Sandoz Group, a world leader in healthcare with core businesses in pharmaceuticals, consumer health, generics, vaccines and diagnostics.  This Policy tells you how we protect the privacy of personal information that you may provide to us.

The term "personal information" as used in this Policy refers to information such as your name, birth date, gender, e-mail address or mailing address, that can be used to identify you.  Sandoz will not process your personal information without your consent.

 

"Safe Harbor" Certification for Privacy

As part of our commitment to privacy, Sandoz has voluntarily certified to the Safe Harbor certification program, a privacy program co-sponsored by the European Commission and the United States Department of Commerce.  This means that Sandoz has voluntarily implemented a set of privacy standards that are approved by the United States and European governments for companies in the United States.  Only a small percentage of US companies have certified to the Safe Harbor privacy standards.  More information about our Safe Harbor privacy standards is provided in our Safe Harbor Privacy Statement.

 

Purpose of Privacy Policy

The purpose of this Policy is to explain what Sandoz does with personally identifiable information that you provide to us, such as your name, address, age, and information relating to your medical conditions.  We want you to know how your personally identifiable information will be protected, who we may share it with, and for what purposes.

 

Reason for Collection of Your Information

Many of Sandoz's services to customers, such as browsing our product and health websites, do not require any form of registration or identification.  You can freely visit many of our website without telling us who you are.  However, some of our services, such as programs that you sign up for to receive free information, require registration.  (Some fields are required and some are optional.) This allows us to send you information that you request or contact you about Sandoz products and services on either a one-time basis, or longer.

 

Personal Information Collected From You

The type of information collected from you will be based on the specific program that you register for, as indicated at the time of your registration.  The information that we may ask you to provide may include your first and last name, your mailing address, your age, birth date, gender, e-mail address, and information about your medical conditions.  Sandoz limits the collection and processing of personal information to what is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it is to be used.

 

Consolidation of Information Collected From You

Many of our customers register for more than one Sandoz program or service, through our websites, by calling Sandoz, or through a third-party such as their healthcare provider.  When you register with us more than once, we may combine your personally identifiable information as well as any anonymous computer information collected (see below) and store it collectively.  This helps us keep track of all of your preferences in one organized place, and helps us provide information to you based on a more informed review of your requests and medical conditions of interest.

 

Data Integrity

Sandoz takes reasonable steps to ensure that personal information collected is reliable for its intended use, accurate, complete, and current.

 

Collection of Anonymous Computer Information

When you visit our websites, we do not collect any personally identifiable information about you without your permission.  However, we do collect anonymous information about you if your computer is set to allow that type of collection.  (You can turn off the ability to collect some of this information on most computers.)  This type of anonymous information allows us to evaluate customer interest in our websites and perform other market research activities, such as your browsing habits on our site.  It also allows us to track customers who come to our websites based on website advertisements about Sandoz products or services.  

For those who are interested in the details, some of the typical computer techniques we may use are "cookies", "internet tags" which are also called "action tags", "single-pixel GIFs", clear GIFs, "invisible GIFs, and "1-by-1 GIFs.  "Cookies" by themselves cannot be used to discover the identity of the user.  A "cookie" is a small piece of information which is sent to your browser and stored on your computer's hard drive.  Cookies do not damage your computer.  You can set your browser to notify you when you receive a "cookie"; this will enable you to decide if you want to accept it or not.

If you would like more information about web tags and cookies associated with on-line advertising or how to opt-out of third-party collection of information, please visit the Network Advertising Initiative website, an independent website not sponsored by or affiliated with Sandoz.

 

Consent to Provide Your Information to Sandoz

We request your consent to collect your personally identifiable information when you seek to register for a Sandoz program or service.  In doing so, we also explain, for that program or service, what you are registering to receive and how we plan to use your personal information.  We also offer you the option of discontinuing your consent ("opting out" or "unsubscribing") if you later decide that you no longer want to participate in that program or receive additional information from us.  If we wish to use this information for purposes incompatible from those for which the data was initially collected, we will offer an effective way to opt out of the secondary use.

 

Sharing Your Information With Third-Parties

Sandoz will not share your personal information with third-parties (other marketers) for their own separate use unless we have obtained your opt-in consent to do so.  When you provide personally identifiable information to Sandoz, it will be accessible to some of Sandoz' business partners, such as companies we retain to fulfill requests for information, answer telephone calls from consumers, or provide assistance to us on specific programs or projects such as newsletters.  In addition, Sandoz enters into business relationships with other companies, such as for the sale of a Sandoz medication.  In those cases, the other companies may also have access to your personally identifiable information.  Sandoz requires third-parties to whom it discloses personal information to protect personal information using substantially similar standards to those required by Sandoz.  We also require that they do not use your personal information for any separate use that is not specifically authorized by Sandoz.

 

There may also be instances where Sandoz may be required to share your information with third-parties who have not been retained by us (directly or indirectly), such as with health authorities to report possible adverse drug experiences, during inspections or audits, or as ordered or directed by courts or other governmental agencies.  Many entities receiving personally identifiable information under these conditions have privacy requirements that apply to their handling of your information.

 

Links to Other Sites

This Policy applies only to Sandoz's websites to the exclusion of third party websites.  Sandoz may provide links to other websites which we believe may be of interest to our visitors. We aim to ensure that such websites are of the highest standard.  However, due to the nature of the World Wide Web, Sandoz cannot and does not guarantee the standards of website links it provides or will not be held responsible for the contents of non-Sandoz sites.  By entering such sites through the links provided, you accept all responsibility for anything that happens and agree that you will not hold Sandoz responsible for anything that happens as a result of your entering and using such sites.

 

Spamming

Sandoz does not condone "spamming".  Spamming is defined as sending unsolicited e-mails, usually of a commercial nature, in large numbers and repeatedly to individuals with whom the sender has had no previous contact or who have declined to receive such communications.

In contrast, where Sandoz believes that certain product, health, or other information is of importance to you it reserves the right to inform you by e-mail while giving you the choice of opting-out of such service.

 

Sharing Your Information Within the Novartis Group of Companies

The information that you provide to Sandoz may sometimes be shared with other departments within Sandoz, as well as certain Sandoz subsidiaries and affiliates within the Novartis global group.  This may mean that your personally identifiable information may be transferred outside of the United States to Sandoz affiliates or companies in other countries.  Other departments within the Novartis group, and other Sandoz companies that may receive your information will abide by substantially similar privacy requirements relating to your personally identifiable information.

 

Security of Your Information

We use appropriate technical, administrative and physical safeguards to protect data that pertains to you from loss, misuse or alteration.  In addition, we take steps to ensure that our safeguards take into account new known threats.  Of course, no organization can guarantee the absolute security of personal information.  You should keep in mind that Internet transmissions, particularly email transmissions, are never 100% secure or error-free.  Accordingly, we also caution you to guard your own computer and password against unauthorized access by others.

Access to personal information is restricted to those employees who have a need to use the data and who have been trained to handle such data properly and observe strict standards of confidentiality.  If an employee breaches our Policy he/she will be disciplined accordingly. Staff compliance with our policies and procedures is regularly audited and reviewed.  While we cannot guarantee against any loss, misuse or alteration to data, we try to prevent such unfortunate occurrences.

 

Transfer of Your Information

Sandoz is a global enterprise and has databases in different jurisdictions.  When Sandoz transfers personal information to countries other than the country where the information was provided, we do so in compliance with applicable privacy laws.  We protect personal information entrusted to us no matter what country it is stored in or transferred to and have appropriate procedures in place to help ensure the security of your personal information.  As noted above, we also adhere to the United States Department of Commerce's Safe Harbor standards concerning the transfer of personal information from the European Union to the United States of America.

 

Protection of Children

Sandoz abides by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States, and respects similar laws of other countries that are protect the privacy of children.  Sandoz will not knowingly collect, use or disclose personally identifiable information from a minor under the age of 13, without obtaining prior consent from a person with parental responsibility (parent or guardian) through direct off-line contact.  Should a child whom we know to be under 13 provide personally identifiable information to us, we will use that information only to respond directly to that child to inform him or her that we must have parental consent before receiving information about him or her. We will also provide the parent with: (i) notice of the specific types of personal information being collected from the minor, and (ii) the opportunity to object to any further collection, use, or storage of such information.

 

Accountability

Our privacy practices are periodically reviewed by our auditors to verify compliance with this Policy.

 

Updating and Accessing Your Information

We encourage you to update the information you provide to us, such as providing us with a new mailing or email address, a name change, or a change in the medical conditions that you have notified us about.  This will help us continue to provide information to you that best meets your needs.

If you wish to access or correct your personal information held by us, please e-mail us at webmaster.usbrgx@sandoz.com.  Your requests will be dealt with in a prompt and professional manner.  No charge will be levied for complying with a correction request, however, for all other requests Sandoz may charge a small fee to cover its costs.  Requests to delete personal information will be subject to any applicable legal and ethical reporting or document filing or retention obligations imposed on Sandoz.

In addition, Sandoz complies with laws and regulations applicable to the right to amend your data in our files.  These rights are limited in some ways.  In addition, in order to protect your data from unauthorized access or alteration by third parties, all requests to update or access your information will be subject to verification of the identity of the requesting individual.

 

Updated Sandoz Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy becomes effective on December 18, 2008.  Sandoz may update this Policy from time to time.  We encourage you to review our Privacy Policy periodically.

 

How to Contact Us

If you have any questions, queries or complaints about our Privacy Policy, please write to us at Sandoz, 506 Carnegie Center, Suite 400, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, or e-mail us at webmaster.usbrgx@sandoz.com.