Could your patient data be at risk? Bunnings and Kmart's owner is getting into the prescriptions business

Have you ever considered using an online doctor service instead of visiting a general practitioner (GP) in person? It’s a thought that’s becoming increasingly appealing in our busy world. But there is a potential risk to consider: patient data security.

Recently, the Australian retail corporation Wesfarmers—who also owns Bunnings and Kmart—made headlines when it purchased InstantScripts.


The corporation spent $135 million in July to acquire the business, an online doctor service that lets patients generate prescriptions remotely via an online form.

With 300 low-risk medications being either picked up from a pharmacist or delivered directly to an individual’s home, InstantScripts was a convenient option during the pandemic, and the company earned up to $50M in annual revenue previously.


Screenshot 2023-09-13 081115.png
InstantScripts is an online doctor service that lets patients generate prescriptions remotely via an online form. Credit: InstantScripts


Unsurprisingly, the Medical Board of Australia was not impressed with the lack of a real-time patient-doctor consultation and cited that it’s not a good medical practice to prescribe medications without it.


New telehealth guidelines were implemented this month, which require doctors to undergo an in-person, telephone or video consultation if a prescription is to be provided. If the direct consultation is not provided, the doctor must explain ‘how the prescribing and the management of the patient was appropriate and necessary in the circumstances’.

The move by Wesfarmers is concerning for medical practitioners because of the potential risks to patient data security. With the purchase, the company now has access to medical information, such as medical certificates, blood tests and other GP services, which could be highly valuable in their data collection.

Chris Owen, President of the Queensland Pharmacy Guild, believed that Wesfarmers could get additional value from the data collected on the site. He claimed that even if they protect identifiable patient information, anonymised data could still be useful for online advertising—which is primarily already based on stereotyped 'personality sets'.


‘They’ll still have the ability, if they join it together with their frequent flyer program or their Flybys program…to have access to that data across a variety of different platforms,’ Mr Owen said.

‘We’ve always held health data is pretty sacrosanct,’ he added.


compressed-8.jpeg
Medical practitioners are concerned about the security risks of InstantScripts’ patient data. Credit: RomanR/Shutterstock


InstantScripts’ General Manager, Richard Skimin, said patient data is stored securely and is only accessible by the company’s doctors.

‘InstantScripts’ secure systems are housed and managed independently, eliminating any risk of a patient’s health data being inadvertently shared with other Wesfarmers businesses,’ Mr Skimin explained.


However, the Vice President of the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP), Bruce Willett, said the recent PwC scandal showed that major corporations were not always successful in maintaining a clear boundary between different arms of the business.

‘[InstantScripts’] privacy policy says that they do share information for the purposes of targeted advertising and to their delivery partners,’ he mentioned.

‘It says that they don’t share health information. But the question is: where is that line? And how effective is that [firewall]? We’ve seen examples of where that doesn’t work in other parts of corporate Australia,’ Mr Willett added.


He also noted that regulators had not kept up with the rapid growth of the private sector, especially with the increasing ‘vertically integrated organisations’ such as these.

‘This is probably the most extreme vertically integrated [arrangement]—from pharmaceutical suppliers to providing the prescriptions, providing the scripts, delivering the scripts, plus the other retailing things across to the side, with Kmart and what have you.’


Mr Skimin discussed the ‘missed opportunity’ in the medical board’s revision of the telehealth guidelines.

‘There are certain cases in which asynchronous prescribing [in which doctors don’t consult in real time], when underpinned by robust controls and clinical governance process, works very safely and effectively,’ he said.

‘Regulating such a practice out of existence is a clear example of provider interest taking priority over the interest of patients.’

Elizabeth Deveny, the Chief Executive of Consumers Health Forum of Australia, said that while patients have much to gain from telehealth, she also warned that they should be careful around data collection.

‘We also would call on the government to make better standards here with some plain English requirements so that everyone knows straightforwardly what they’re getting consent for, and equally importantly, how they can change that over time,’ she stated.

‘Sometimes what we see too is that you can only get the service if you agree to the data sharing. So, we think that that clause should always be optional. We think you should have to opt into anything like that,’ she added.


Key Takeaways
  • Wesfarmers' integration of online doctor service InstantScripts into its portfolio, alongside Bunnings and Kmart, has raised concerns over potential risks to patient data security.
  • Wesfarmers purchased InstantScripts for $135 million in July. The service generates prescriptions remotely, covering 300 low-risk drugs available for pick-up or home delivery.
  • Critics question the value of health data held by companies like Wesfarmers for online advertising and other business purposes despite assurances of robust data protection measures.
  • Concerns are also being voiced about the ability of regulatory bodies to keep pace with innovations in the private sector and the lack of clear guidelines around data collection consent during telehealth consultations.

So if you ever find yourself using an online doctor service, make sure you take the time to read the privacy policy carefully—and stay vigilant in protecting your data!

What do you think of this story, members? Do you use InstantScripts? Share your experience in the comments below!
 
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Have you ever considered using an online doctor service instead of visiting a general practitioner (GP) in person? It’s a thought that’s becoming increasingly appealing in our busy world. But there is a potential risk to consider: patient data security.

Recently, the Australian retail corporation Wesfarmers—who also owns Bunnings and Kmart—made headlines when it purchased InstantScripts.


The corporation spent $135 million in July to acquire the business, an online doctor service that lets patients generate prescriptions remotely via an online form.

With 300 low-risk medications being either picked up from a pharmacist or delivered directly to an individual’s home, InstantScripts was a convenient option during the pandemic, and the company earned up to $50M in annual revenue previously.


View attachment 29786
InstantScripts is an online doctor service that lets patients generate prescriptions remotely via an online form. Credit: InstantScripts


Unsurprisingly, the Medical Board of Australia was not impressed with the lack of a real-time patient-doctor consultation and cited that it’s not a good medical practice to prescribe medications without it.


New telehealth guidelines were implemented this month, which require doctors to undergo an in-person, telephone or video consultation if a prescription is to be provided. If the direct consultation is not provided, the doctor must explain ‘how the prescribing and the management of the patient was appropriate and necessary in the circumstances’.

The move by Wesfarmers is concerning for medical practitioners because of the potential risks to patient data security. With the purchase, the company now has access to medical information, such as medical certificates, blood tests and other GP services, which could be highly valuable in their data collection.

Chris Owen, President of the Queensland Pharmacy Guild, believed that Wesfarmers could get additional value from the data collected on the site. He claimed that even if they protect identifiable patient information, anonymised data could still be useful for online advertising—which is primarily already based on stereotyped 'personality sets'.


‘They’ll still have the ability, if they join it together with their frequent flyer program or their Flybys program…to have access to that data across a variety of different platforms,’ Mr Owen said.

‘We’ve always held health data is pretty sacrosanct,’ he added.


View attachment 29787
Medical practitioners are concerned about the security risks of InstantScripts’ patient data. Credit: RomanR/Shutterstock


InstantScripts’ General Manager, Richard Skimin, said patient data is stored securely and is only accessible by the company’s doctors.

‘InstantScripts’ secure systems are housed and managed independently, eliminating any risk of a patient’s health data being inadvertently shared with other Wesfarmers businesses,’ Mr Skimin explained.


However, the Vice President of the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP), Bruce Willett, said the recent PwC scandal showed that major corporations were not always successful in maintaining a clear boundary between different arms of the business.

‘[InstantScripts’] privacy policy says that they do share information for the purposes of targeted advertising and to their delivery partners,’ he mentioned.

‘It says that they don’t share health information. But the question is: where is that line? And how effective is that [firewall]? We’ve seen examples of where that doesn’t work in other parts of corporate Australia,’ Mr Willett added.


He also noted that regulators had not kept up with the rapid growth of the private sector, especially with the increasing ‘vertically integrated organisations’ such as these.

‘This is probably the most extreme vertically integrated [arrangement]—from pharmaceutical suppliers to providing the prescriptions, providing the scripts, delivering the scripts, plus the other retailing things across to the side, with Kmart and what have you.’


Mr Skimin discussed the ‘missed opportunity’ in the medical board’s revision of the telehealth guidelines.

‘There are certain cases in which asynchronous prescribing [in which doctors don’t consult in real time], when underpinned by robust controls and clinical governance process, works very safely and effectively,’ he said.

‘Regulating such a practice out of existence is a clear example of provider interest taking priority over the interest of patients.’

Elizabeth Deveny, the Chief Executive of Consumers Health Forum of Australia, said that while patients have much to gain from telehealth, she also warned that they should be careful around data collection.

‘We also would call on the government to make better standards here with some plain English requirements so that everyone knows straightforwardly what they’re getting consent for, and equally importantly, how they can change that over time,’ she stated.

‘Sometimes what we see too is that you can only get the service if you agree to the data sharing. So, we think that that clause should always be optional. We think you should have to opt into anything like that,’ she added.


Key Takeaways

  • Wesfarmers' integration of online doctor service InstantScripts into its portfolio, alongside Bunnings and Kmart, has raised concerns over potential risks to patient data security.
  • Wesfarmers purchased InstantScripts for $135 million in July. The service generates prescriptions remotely, covering 300 low-risk drugs available for pick-up or home delivery.
  • Critics question the value of health data held by companies like Wesfarmers for online advertising and other business purposes despite assurances of robust data protection measures.
  • Concerns are also being voiced about the ability of regulatory bodies to keep pace with innovations in the private sector and the lack of clear guidelines around data collection consent during telehealth consultations.

So if you ever find yourself using an online doctor service, make sure you take the time to read the privacy policy carefully—and stay vigilant in protecting your data!

What do you think of this story, members? Do you use InstantScripts? Share your experience in the comments below!
 
Have you ever considered using an online doctor service instead of visiting a general practitioner (GP) in person? It’s a thought that’s becoming increasingly appealing in our busy world. But there is a potential risk to consider: patient data security.

Recently, the Australian retail corporation Wesfarmers—who also owns Bunnings and Kmart—made headlines when it purchased InstantScripts.


The corporation spent $135 million in July to acquire the business, an online doctor service that lets patients generate prescriptions remotely via an online form.

With 300 low-risk medications being either picked up from a pharmacist or delivered directly to an individual’s home, InstantScripts was a convenient option during the pandemic, and the company earned up to $50M in annual revenue previously.


View attachment 29786
InstantScripts is an online doctor service that lets patients generate prescriptions remotely via an online form. Credit: InstantScripts


Unsurprisingly, the Medical Board of Australia was not impressed with the lack of a real-time patient-doctor consultation and cited that it’s not a good medical practice to prescribe medications without it.


New telehealth guidelines were implemented this month, which require doctors to undergo an in-person, telephone or video consultation if a prescription is to be provided. If the direct consultation is not provided, the doctor must explain ‘how the prescribing and the management of the patient was appropriate and necessary in the circumstances’.

The move by Wesfarmers is concerning for medical practitioners because of the potential risks to patient data security. With the purchase, the company now has access to medical information, such as medical certificates, blood tests and other GP services, which could be highly valuable in their data collection.

Chris Owen, President of the Queensland Pharmacy Guild, believed that Wesfarmers could get additional value from the data collected on the site. He claimed that even if they protect identifiable patient information, anonymised data could still be useful for online advertising—which is primarily already based on stereotyped 'personality sets'.


‘They’ll still have the ability, if they join it together with their frequent flyer program or their Flybys program…to have access to that data across a variety of different platforms,’ Mr Owen said.

‘We’ve always held health data is pretty sacrosanct,’ he added.


View attachment 29787
Medical practitioners are concerned about the security risks of InstantScripts’ patient data. Credit: RomanR/Shutterstock


InstantScripts’ General Manager, Richard Skimin, said patient data is stored securely and is only accessible by the company’s doctors.

‘InstantScripts’ secure systems are housed and managed independently, eliminating any risk of a patient’s health data being inadvertently shared with other Wesfarmers businesses,’ Mr Skimin explained.


However, the Vice President of the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP), Bruce Willett, said the recent PwC scandal showed that major corporations were not always successful in maintaining a clear boundary between different arms of the business.

‘[InstantScripts’] privacy policy says that they do share information for the purposes of targeted advertising and to their delivery partners,’ he mentioned.

‘It says that they don’t share health information. But the question is: where is that line? And how effective is that [firewall]? We’ve seen examples of where that doesn’t work in other parts of corporate Australia,’ Mr Willett added.


He also noted that regulators had not kept up with the rapid growth of the private sector, especially with the increasing ‘vertically integrated organisations’ such as these.

‘This is probably the most extreme vertically integrated [arrangement]—from pharmaceutical suppliers to providing the prescriptions, providing the scripts, delivering the scripts, plus the other retailing things across to the side, with Kmart and what have you.’


Mr Skimin discussed the ‘missed opportunity’ in the medical board’s revision of the telehealth guidelines.

‘There are certain cases in which asynchronous prescribing [in which doctors don’t consult in real time], when underpinned by robust controls and clinical governance process, works very safely and effectively,’ he said.

‘Regulating such a practice out of existence is a clear example of provider interest taking priority over the interest of patients.’

Elizabeth Deveny, the Chief Executive of Consumers Health Forum of Australia, said that while patients have much to gain from telehealth, she also warned that they should be careful around data collection.

‘We also would call on the government to make better standards here with some plain English requirements so that everyone knows straightforwardly what they’re getting consent for, and equally importantly, how they can change that over time,’ she stated.

‘Sometimes what we see too is that you can only get the service if you agree to the data sharing. So, we think that that clause should always be optional. We think you should have to opt into anything like that,’ she added.


Key Takeaways

  • Wesfarmers' integration of online doctor service InstantScripts into its portfolio, alongside Bunnings and Kmart, has raised concerns over potential risks to patient data security.
  • Wesfarmers purchased InstantScripts for $135 million in July. The service generates prescriptions remotely, covering 300 low-risk drugs available for pick-up or home delivery.
  • Critics question the value of health data held by companies like Wesfarmers for online advertising and other business purposes despite assurances of robust data protection measures.
  • Concerns are also being voiced about the ability of regulatory bodies to keep pace with innovations in the private sector and the lack of clear guidelines around data collection consent during telehealth consultations.

So if you ever find yourself using an online doctor service, make sure you take the time to read the privacy policy carefully—and stay vigilant in protecting your data!

What do you think of this story, members? Do you use InstantScripts? Share your experience in the comments below!
I’m not a fan of this practice. I think that someone who is not your GP and knows you or health care could examine you like take your BP and know your medical and emotional needs.
 
I think this is a very dangerous practice. You would probably be dealing with a different Dr. every time you made contact with this service so no ongoing professional care in which your previous medical issues are taken into consideration.
It would probably also be open to abuse by drug users. Instead of needing their little black book of where they can go to get a (illegal) script they can just go to telehealth & a different Dr. will issue yet another script for them.
 
What a load of codswallop!

Wesfarmers has been in the pharmacy business for a couple of years now, having purchased Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (API), which is the parent company of Priceline and Soul Patterson chemists back in 2021.

Having an online prescription service merely adds to their health branch and I see no difference between Wesfarmers or some other company owning this. Furthermore, doctors working for the online prescriptions service come under the same laws as any other doctor.
 
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I think this is a very dangerous practice. You would probably be dealing with a different Dr. every time you made contact with this service so no ongoing professional care in which your previous medical issues are taken into consideration.
It would probably also be open to abuse by drug users. Instead of needing their little black book of where they can go to get a (illegal) script they can just go to telehealth & a different Dr. will issue yet another script for them.
These days it's getting harder to see a regular Dr so if you go to a practice for a medical certificate etc, you might not always see your own Dr. Your scripts are also held on your file as well as through Medicare and were not like America where BIG drug companies OWN the majority of drug companies. They don't keep records across all states of what drugs you get like we do here and our privacy laws are a lot stricter than the US.
 
I think this is a very dangerous practice. You would probably be dealing with a different Dr. every time you made contact with this service so no ongoing professional care in which your previous medical issues are taken into consideration.
It would probably also be open to abuse by drug users. Instead of needing their little black book of where they can go to get a (illegal) script they can just go to telehealth & a different Dr. will issue yet another script for them.
There is nothing stopping you from going to a different doctor every time you need a script.

I have seen three different doctors at different surgeries in the last three years, two in order to get that stupid form for my drivers licence filled in and the third following my argument with a garden plant when I fractured a couple of vertebrae - in addition to the doctor at the emergency department of the hospital.

Luckily, I don't need a script to purchase Osteo Panadol.
 
Have you ever considered using an online doctor service instead of visiting a general practitioner (GP) in person? It’s a thought that’s becoming increasingly appealing in our busy world. But there is a potential risk to consider: patient data security.

Recently, the Australian retail corporation Wesfarmers—who also owns Bunnings and Kmart—made headlines when it purchased InstantScripts.


The corporation spent $135 million in July to acquire the business, an online doctor service that lets patients generate prescriptions remotely via an online form.

With 300 low-risk medications being either picked up from a pharmacist or delivered directly to an individual’s home, InstantScripts was a convenient option during the pandemic, and the company earned up to $50M in annual revenue previously.


View attachment 29786
InstantScripts is an online doctor service that lets patients generate prescriptions remotely via an online form. Credit: InstantScripts


Unsurprisingly, the Medical Board of Australia was not impressed with the lack of a real-time patient-doctor consultation and cited that it’s not a good medical practice to prescribe medications without it.


New telehealth guidelines were implemented this month, which require doctors to undergo an in-person, telephone or video consultation if a prescription is to be provided. If the direct consultation is not provided, the doctor must explain ‘how the prescribing and the management of the patient was appropriate and necessary in the circumstances’.

The move by Wesfarmers is concerning for medical practitioners because of the potential risks to patient data security. With the purchase, the company now has access to medical information, such as medical certificates, blood tests and other GP services, which could be highly valuable in their data collection.

Chris Owen, President of the Queensland Pharmacy Guild, believed that Wesfarmers could get additional value from the data collected on the site. He claimed that even if they protect identifiable patient information, anonymised data could still be useful for online advertising—which is primarily already based on stereotyped 'personality sets'.


‘They’ll still have the ability, if they join it together with their frequent flyer program or their Flybys program…to have access to that data across a variety of different platforms,’ Mr Owen said.

‘We’ve always held health data is pretty sacrosanct,’ he added.


View attachment 29787
Medical practitioners are concerned about the security risks of InstantScripts’ patient data. Credit: RomanR/Shutterstock


InstantScripts’ General Manager, Richard Skimin, said patient data is stored securely and is only accessible by the company’s doctors.

‘InstantScripts’ secure systems are housed and managed independently, eliminating any risk of a patient’s health data being inadvertently shared with other Wesfarmers businesses,’ Mr Skimin explained.


However, the Vice President of the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP), Bruce Willett, said the recent PwC scandal showed that major corporations were not always successful in maintaining a clear boundary between different arms of the business.

‘[InstantScripts’] privacy policy says that they do share information for the purposes of targeted advertising and to their delivery partners,’ he mentioned.

‘It says that they don’t share health information. But the question is: where is that line? And how effective is that [firewall]? We’ve seen examples of where that doesn’t work in other parts of corporate Australia,’ Mr Willett added.


He also noted that regulators had not kept up with the rapid growth of the private sector, especially with the increasing ‘vertically integrated organisations’ such as these.

‘This is probably the most extreme vertically integrated [arrangement]—from pharmaceutical suppliers to providing the prescriptions, providing the scripts, delivering the scripts, plus the other retailing things across to the side, with Kmart and what have you.’


Mr Skimin discussed the ‘missed opportunity’ in the medical board’s revision of the telehealth guidelines.

‘There are certain cases in which asynchronous prescribing [in which doctors don’t consult in real time], when underpinned by robust controls and clinical governance process, works very safely and effectively,’ he said.

‘Regulating such a practice out of existence is a clear example of provider interest taking priority over the interest of patients.’

Elizabeth Deveny, the Chief Executive of Consumers Health Forum of Australia, said that while patients have much to gain from telehealth, she also warned that they should be careful around data collection.

‘We also would call on the government to make better standards here with some plain English requirements so that everyone knows straightforwardly what they’re getting consent for, and equally importantly, how they can change that over time,’ she stated.

‘Sometimes what we see too is that you can only get the service if you agree to the data sharing. So, we think that that clause should always be optional. We think you should have to opt into anything like that,’ she added.


Key Takeaways

  • Wesfarmers' integration of online doctor service InstantScripts into its portfolio, alongside Bunnings and Kmart, has raised concerns over potential risks to patient data security.
  • Wesfarmers purchased InstantScripts for $135 million in July. The service generates prescriptions remotely, covering 300 low-risk drugs available for pick-up or home delivery.
  • Critics question the value of health data held by companies like Wesfarmers for online advertising and other business purposes despite assurances of robust data protection measures.
  • Concerns are also being voiced about the ability of regulatory bodies to keep pace with innovations in the private sector and the lack of clear guidelines around data collection consent during telehealth consultations.

So if you ever find yourself using an online doctor service, make sure you take the time to read the privacy policy carefully—and stay vigilant in protecting your data!

What do you think of this story, members? Do you use InstantScripts? Share your experience in the comments below!
Hahaha, it's already at risk, ATO got scammed, nearly every big company has been hacked and personal information sold to unscrupulous criminals already.
 
Have you ever considered using an online doctor service instead of visiting a general practitioner (GP) in person? It’s a thought that’s becoming increasingly appealing in our busy world. But there is a potential risk to consider: patient data security.

Recently, the Australian retail corporation Wesfarmers—who also owns Bunnings and Kmart—made headlines when it purchased InstantScripts.


The corporation spent $135 million in July to acquire the business, an online doctor service that lets patients generate prescriptions remotely via an online form.

With 300 low-risk medications being either picked up from a pharmacist or delivered directly to an individual’s home, InstantScripts was a convenient option during the pandemic, and the company earned up to $50M in annual revenue previously.


View attachment 29786
InstantScripts is an online doctor service that lets patients generate prescriptions remotely via an online form. Credit: InstantScripts


Unsurprisingly, the Medical Board of Australia was not impressed with the lack of a real-time patient-doctor consultation and cited that it’s not a good medical practice to prescribe medications without it.


New telehealth guidelines were implemented this month, which require doctors to undergo an in-person, telephone or video consultation if a prescription is to be provided. If the direct consultation is not provided, the doctor must explain ‘how the prescribing and the management of the patient was appropriate and necessary in the circumstances’.

The move by Wesfarmers is concerning for medical practitioners because of the potential risks to patient data security. With the purchase, the company now has access to medical information, such as medical certificates, blood tests and other GP services, which could be highly valuable in their data collection.

Chris Owen, President of the Queensland Pharmacy Guild, believed that Wesfarmers could get additional value from the data collected on the site. He claimed that even if they protect identifiable patient information, anonymised data could still be useful for online advertising—which is primarily already based on stereotyped 'personality sets'.


‘They’ll still have the ability, if they join it together with their frequent flyer program or their Flybys program…to have access to that data across a variety of different platforms,’ Mr Owen said.

‘We’ve always held health data is pretty sacrosanct,’ he added.


View attachment 29787
Medical practitioners are concerned about the security risks of InstantScripts’ patient data. Credit: RomanR/Shutterstock


InstantScripts’ General Manager, Richard Skimin, said patient data is stored securely and is only accessible by the company’s doctors.

‘InstantScripts’ secure systems are housed and managed independently, eliminating any risk of a patient’s health data being inadvertently shared with other Wesfarmers businesses,’ Mr Skimin explained.


However, the Vice President of the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP), Bruce Willett, said the recent PwC scandal showed that major corporations were not always successful in maintaining a clear boundary between different arms of the business.

‘[InstantScripts’] privacy policy says that they do share information for the purposes of targeted advertising and to their delivery partners,’ he mentioned.

‘It says that they don’t share health information. But the question is: where is that line? And how effective is that [firewall]? We’ve seen examples of where that doesn’t work in other parts of corporate Australia,’ Mr Willett added.


He also noted that regulators had not kept up with the rapid growth of the private sector, especially with the increasing ‘vertically integrated organisations’ such as these.

‘This is probably the most extreme vertically integrated [arrangement]—from pharmaceutical suppliers to providing the prescriptions, providing the scripts, delivering the scripts, plus the other retailing things across to the side, with Kmart and what have you.’


Mr Skimin discussed the ‘missed opportunity’ in the medical board’s revision of the telehealth guidelines.

‘There are certain cases in which asynchronous prescribing [in which doctors don’t consult in real time], when underpinned by robust controls and clinical governance process, works very safely and effectively,’ he said.

‘Regulating such a practice out of existence is a clear example of provider interest taking priority over the interest of patients.’

Elizabeth Deveny, the Chief Executive of Consumers Health Forum of Australia, said that while patients have much to gain from telehealth, she also warned that they should be careful around data collection.

‘We also would call on the government to make better standards here with some plain English requirements so that everyone knows straightforwardly what they’re getting consent for, and equally importantly, how they can change that over time,’ she stated.

‘Sometimes what we see too is that you can only get the service if you agree to the data sharing. So, we think that that clause should always be optional. We think you should have to opt into anything like that,’ she added.


Key Takeaways

  • Wesfarmers' integration of online doctor service InstantScripts into its portfolio, alongside Bunnings and Kmart, has raised concerns over potential risks to patient data security.
  • Wesfarmers purchased InstantScripts for $135 million in July. The service generates prescriptions remotely, covering 300 low-risk drugs available for pick-up or home delivery.
  • Critics question the value of health data held by companies like Wesfarmers for online advertising and other business purposes despite assurances of robust data protection measures.
  • Concerns are also being voiced about the ability of regulatory bodies to keep pace with innovations in the private sector and the lack of clear guidelines around data collection consent during telehealth consultations.

So if you ever find yourself using an online doctor service, make sure you take the time to read the privacy policy carefully—and stay vigilant in protecting your data!

What do you think of this story, members? Do you use InstantScripts? Share your experience in the comments below!
Given the pharmacists said they will have to close with the new 60day scripts, this is probably a good thing, they could even have a dispensary in all their stores.
 
Given the pharmacists said they will have to close with the new 60day scripts, this is probably a good thing, they could even have a dispensary in all their stores.
Why not? You can already have your eyes and ears checked at Costco and be fitted with hearing aids and glasses.
 
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Reactions: Granny*Deb
Historically, many companies that specialised in a certain product that expand their product base have their reputation ruined.

For example, TEAC who produced some of the world's best cassette decks, along with Nakamichi, branched out into manufacturing low quality televisions, phone chargers and set boxes. Now the company is poorly regarded in the electronic world.

Wesfarmers started off as an marketing company to promote farmers' produce in the early 20th century. It should have stuck with that.
 
What a load of codswallop!

Wesfarmers has been in the pharmacy business for a couple of years now, having purchased Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (API), which is the parent company of Priceline and Soul Patterson chemists back in 2021.

Having an online prescription service merely adds to their health branch and I see no difference between Wesfarmers or some other company owning this. Furthermore, doctors working for the online prescriptions service come under the same laws as any other doctor.
Wesfarmers only procured API last year.
 
Given the pharmacists said they will have to close with the new 60day scripts, this is probably a good thing, they could even have a dispensary in all their stores.
That's fine if you live close to one of their stores but for those of us in country areas this is not the case. We need to keep our local pharmacies or we will end up without anywhere to get our scripts filled or having to do what they do in another state - fax it to a pharmacies a couple of hundred kms away & wait for it to be filled & the drugs sent by snail mail or courier. Don't say this can't happen as that's what my brother has had to do in the state in which he lives.
 

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