SHARING OF LOGIN DETAILS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
Providing a third party with your online password amounts to unprofessional conduct
Your Council website login details are as important as your bank account’s personal identification number (PIN). They should not be shared with any third party, for any reason whatsoever. They should be used to access and transact on your secure profile and all associated services only by you, at all times. Actions and transactions concluded on your secure profile are always assumed to be executed by yourself, as such, you remain answerable for all transactions.
Providing a third party with your online password amounts to unprofessional conduct
Did you know you are liable to be charged with unprofessional conduct if you give someone your online password? Providing a third party with access to your secure site on Council’s website comprises the protection of personal information and leaves you open to disciplinary action.
In 2012 Council launched the online application and secure section of its website reserved for registered persons, which gave pharmacists and pharmacy support personnel access to change their personal information, and the ability to apply for certain services and record their continuing professional development (CPD) activities online.
To access this information people were issued with secure passwords that were and remain unique to each person. These passwords can be changed or customised by individuals following a secure process.
Why do we need a secure, password protected section on the website?
The obvious answer to this is for security reasons. The secure section of the website contains personal and private information including financial history and financial documents, disciplinary case information and access to an individual’s CPD activities. The secure section also contains personal information needed only by Council and which is not available as public information.
In 2012 Council launched the online application and secure section of its website reserved for registered persons, which gave pharmacists and pharmacy support personnel access to change their personal information, and the ability to apply for certain services and record their continuing professional development (CPD) activities online.
To access this information people were issued with secure passwords that were and remain unique to each person. These passwords can be changed or customised by individuals following a secure process.
Why do some pharmacists give out their passwords?
It has been brought to Council’s attention that some pharmacists give their passwords to third parties to perform certain functions on their behalf, such as:
- Recording of CPD activities.
- Submission of online applications, e.g. tutor and responsible pharmacist applications.
- Complying with requirements related to training, the pre-registration year or pharmacy inspections, e.g. completion of progress reports, verification of intern’s CPD entries, pharmacy inspection self-assessment, improvement plans etc.
- Approval or acceptance of sub roles e.g. acceptance to become a tutor or responsible pharmacist.
- Providing access to the employer to verify registration, financial or any other status.
Don’t be guilty of unprofessional conduct
Providing a third party with your password so they can transact on your behalf on the SAPC secure site amounts to unprofessional conduct and will result in Council taking disciplinary action against you.
Irrespective of the reason for giving out your password, it is wrong!
Protection of Personal Information Act
In terms of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013, Council is a holder of information, reasonably needed to conduct its business. However, registered persons themselves, when providing their passwords to other people, compromise the protection of this information.
Don’t face possible disciplinary action
Should Council become aware of any registered person willfully providing another person with their password to access the secure section of Council’s website, that person will face disciplinary action in terms of Chapter V of the Pharmacy Act.
