Clinic Hours
Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Privacy Policy
Effective Date: April 2026 | Last Updated: April 2026
1. Introduction & Scope
East City Medical Centre & Pharmacy (“the Clinic,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal health information (PHI) and personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information in accordance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA) of Ontario, the Regulated Health Professions Act, and other applicable privacy legislation.
By using our website, booking form, or clinic services, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
2. What Information We Collect
We collect information necessary to provide you with safe, effective, and high-quality healthcare services.
a. Personal Health Information (PHI)
When you visit our clinic or pharmacy, we may collect:
- Full name, date of birth, and health card number (OHIP)
- Medical history, diagnoses, medications, and treatment records
- Lab results, referrals, and diagnostic reports
- Vaccination and immunization records
- Information provided during clinic visits or phone consultations
b. Personal & Contact Information
- Phone number, email address, and mailing address
- Emergency contact details
- Information submitted through our website booking form (Name, Phone, Email, Visit Type)
c. Website & Technical Information
- IP address, browser type, and device information
- Pages visited and time spent on our website (via Google Analytics)
- Form submissions, appointment requests, and callback requests
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal health information only for the purposes for which it was collected, including:
- Providing medical care, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up
- Processing appointment bookings and callback requests
- Communicating with you about your care, test results, or prescriptions
- Coordinating care with specialists, labs, or other healthcare providers within your circle of care
- Billing the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) or private insurance for insured services
- Complying with legal and regulatory obligations
- Improving the quality and safety of our clinical services and website functionality
- Sending appointment reminders (with your consent)
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal health information to any third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:
- With other healthcare providers involved in your care (e.g., specialists, hospitals, laboratories)
- With OHIP or other provincial health programs for billing purposes
- With our on-site pharmacy for prescription fulfillment (with your consent)
- With third-party service providers who assist in our operations (e.g., electronic medical record vendors), bound by strict confidentiality agreements
- As required by law (e.g., mandatory reporting of communicable diseases, responding to a court order)
- With your written consent for any other purpose
5. How We Protect Your Information
We take the security of your personal health information seriously. Our safeguards include:
- Secure, encrypted electronic medical records (EMR) system
- Password-protected and access-controlled clinic systems
- Staff trained on PHIPA compliance and privacy obligations
- Physical security measures at our clinic location
- SSL encryption on our website for all form submissions
- Restricted access — only authorized staff may access your records
6. Retention of Your Information
In accordance with PHIPA and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) guidelines, we retain adult patient medical records for a minimum of 10 years from the date of the last entry. For minors, records are kept for 10 years after the patient reaches or would have reached the age of 18. After the retention period, records are securely destroyed.
7. Your Rights Under PHIPA
As a patient, you have the following rights regarding your personal health information:
- Right to Access: You may request a copy of your health records held by the Clinic (subject to certain legal exceptions and potential administrative fees).
- Right to Correction: You may request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information in your record.
- Right to Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw or modify your consent for non-essential uses of your information at any time, subject to legal and contractual restrictions.
- Right to Complain: You have the right to file a complaint with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer (see Section 10).
8. Cookies & Website Tracking
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance user experience. We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site. This tool collects anonymized data such as pages visited, time on site, and general location. No personally identifiable information is collected through cookies without your consent.
You may disable cookies in your browser settings at any time without affecting your ability to access clinic services.
9. Third-Party Services
Our website uses the following third-party services. Each has its own privacy policy:
- Google Analytics: For anonymized website traffic analysis.
- Google Ads: For digital advertising and conversion tracking (anonymized tracking only).
- Google Business Profile: For managing clinic listings and patient reviews.
We ensure that any third-party tools we use do not have access to your personal health information.
10. Contact Our Privacy Officer
If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to your privacy or this policy, please contact:
| Clinic | East City Medical Centre & Pharmacy |
| Address | Peterborough, Ontario |
| Phone | 705-740-1695 |
| info@eastcitymedicalcentre.com | |
| Website | www.eastcitymedicalcentre.com |
| IPC Ontario — Website | www.ipc.on.ca |
| IPC Ontario — Phone | 1-800-387-0073 |