Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how The Intern Pharmacist (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, stores, and discloses personal information when you visit our website, create an account, or use our exam preparation platform (the “Service”).
We are committed to handling personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). By using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy.
1. Who we are
The Intern Pharmacist operates an online educational platform for Australian pharmacy interns preparing for the Pharmacy Board of Australia oral examination and the APC intern written examination.
Website: https://www.theinternpharmacist.com
Privacy contact: privacy@theinternpharmacist.com
2. Information we collect
Depending on how you use the Service, we may collect the following categories of personal information:
Account and identity information
- Name and email address
- Authentication credentials (managed by Firebase; we do not store your password)
- Profile details such as rotation, avatar colour, and optional WhatsApp phone number
- Email verification status
- Google account information if you sign in with Google
Learning and usage information
- Study progress, completed modules, quiz scores, and practice attempt results
- Oral role-play transcripts, evaluation scores, and session duration
- AI chat messages in Ask Doubts (text, and optionally images you upload)
- Study plan data including exam date, schedule preferences, and notes you provide
- Leaderboard points, badges, streaks, and activity statistics
- Pages visited and features used within the platform
Community and matching information
- Community chat messages and display name
- Study partner profile details you choose to share (state, exam date, availability, focus areas, bio)
Preceptor-related information
- If you are linked to a preceptor, your progress and study plan may be visible to that preceptor
- Preceptor email addresses are stored for access control purposes
Technical and device information
- Session cookies used to keep you signed in
- Browser type, device information, IP address, and general usage data collected through analytics tools
- Local storage identifiers (for example, conversation IDs for Ask Doubts sessions)
Information we do not intentionally collect
The Service is intended for pharmacy interns and related professionals. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe a child has provided us information, please contact us so we can delete it.
3. How we collect information
We collect personal information when you:
- Create an account or sign in (including via Google)
- Complete your profile or study partner settings
- Use study tools, quizzes, mock exams, AI chat, or oral role-play features
- Post messages in community chat
- Contact us by email
- Visit our website (including through cookies and analytics technologies described below)
4. How we use your information
We use personal information to:
- Provide, operate, and maintain the Service
- Authenticate you and manage your account
- Deliver personalised study content, AI tutoring, practice scenarios, and study plans
- Track progress, generate leaderboards, and facilitate study partner matching
- Enable community features and preceptor dashboards where applicable
- Improve the Service, fix errors, and develop new features
- Send service-related communications (such as email verification)
- Measure website and advertising performance
- Comply with legal obligations and protect our rights
5. AI processing
Certain features use artificial intelligence to generate responses, evaluate practice sessions, create quizzes, and build study plans. When you use these features, your prompts, chat history, transcripts, and related context may be sent to third-party AI providers for processing.
Our current AI service providers include:
- Google (Gemini API)
- DeepSeek
- Anthropic (Claude — used for internal admin content tools only)
AI outputs are generated automatically and are provided for educational exam preparation only. They are not a substitute for professional pharmacy advice, clinical judgment, or official examination guidance.
6. Cookies and similar technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
| Type | Examples | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Essential cookies | sip_session |
Keep you signed in securely. These are required for the Service to function. |
| Analytics cookies | Google Analytics (GA4) | Understand how visitors and users interact with our website and features. |
| Advertising / measurement cookies | Meta Pixel and related Meta technologies | Measure advertising effectiveness, build audiences, and deliver relevant ads on Meta platforms. |
| Local storage | Browser localStorage | Store session identifiers for features such as Ask Doubts conversations. |
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent you from signing in. Where required by law, we will obtain your consent before using non-essential analytics or advertising cookies.
7. Third-party services
We use trusted third parties to help operate the Service. These providers may process personal information on our behalf:
| Provider | Purpose | Typical data shared |
|---|---|---|
| Google Firebase | Authentication and session management | Email, user ID, authentication tokens |
| Google Analytics (GA4) | Website analytics | Usage events, device/browser data, IP address (may be anonymised by Google) |
| Meta (Facebook / Instagram ads & analytics) | Advertising measurement, remarketing, and audience analytics | Page views, device identifiers, IP address, interactions with our site and ads |
| Google Fonts / Google CDN | Fonts and icons | IP address, browser data |
| MongoDB Atlas (or equivalent hosting) | Database hosting | Account, progress, chat, and usage data stored on our platform |
| AI providers (Google, DeepSeek, Anthropic) | AI-powered features | Chat content, transcripts, study inputs |
| WhatsApp (Meta) | Optional community links initiated by you | Phone number only if you choose to open a WhatsApp link |
Each third party has its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review:
8. Overseas disclosure
Some of our service providers are located outside Australia, including in the United States and other countries. When we disclose personal information to overseas recipients (for example, Firebase, Google Analytics, Meta, or AI providers), we take reasonable steps to ensure they handle information in a manner consistent with applicable privacy laws, including through contractual protections where appropriate.
By using the Service, you consent to the storage and processing of your information in countries where our providers operate, to the extent permitted by law.
9. How we store and protect information
We store personal information in secure databases and use industry-standard measures to protect it, including encrypted session cookies, access controls, and restricted admin access. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. How long we keep information
We retain personal information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the Service, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. You may request deletion of your account and associated data by contacting us. Some information may be retained in backups or logs for a limited period after deletion.
11. Your rights and choices
Under the Privacy Act and APPs, you may have the right to:
- Request access to the personal information we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate, out-of-date, or incomplete information
- Request deletion of your account and personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
- Opt out of marketing communications (service emails such as verification may still be sent)
- Manage cookie preferences through your browser or any consent tools we provide
- Opt out of Meta personalised advertising via Meta Ad Settings
To make a privacy request, email privacy@theinternpharmacist.com. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.
12. Marketing and advertising
We may use Google Analytics and Meta advertising tools to understand how users find our Service and to measure the performance of our marketing campaigns. Meta may use cookies and similar technologies to show you ads on Facebook, Instagram, and partner sites based on your interactions with our website.
We do not sell your personal information. Advertising partners may receive pseudonymous or aggregated data for analytics and ad delivery purposes as described in their own policies.
13. Community features and visibility
Certain information you choose to share may be visible to other users, including your display name on the leaderboard, study partner profile details, and community chat messages. Please do not share sensitive personal or patient information in community areas or AI chat features.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will reflect the latest version. Material changes will be communicated through the website or by email where appropriate. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
15. Contact us
For privacy questions, access requests, or complaints, contact us at:
Email: privacy@theinternpharmacist.com
Website: theinternpharmacist.com