How we handle account closure and your medical records

You can ask us to close your account and we can send this to the relevant team to review. As for marketing emails, you can click unsubscribe at any point.  What we cannot do is delete the records of medication you have ordered through us, because UK law requires pharmacies to keep medical records for a set period of time. This article explains why and what your options are.

Who this applies to

This applies to anyone with an Oxford Online Pharmacy account who wants to close it, stop receiving emails from us, or ask us to remove their data. It applies whether you have ordered medication from us in the past or not.

What we will do when you ask us to close your account

• Pass it on to the relevant clinical team to review if possible
• If you wish to stop all marketing emails, please scroll to the bottom of one and click "unsubscribe" 

What we cannot delete and why

If you have placed an order with us, even if the medication was never supplied to you, that order forms part of your medical record. As a UK-registered pharmacy we have a legal obligation to keep these records.

The UK GDPR contains two exceptions to the right to erasure that apply here:

• Where processing is necessary for public health purposes in the public interest, including ensuring high standards of quality and safety of healthcare and medicinal products.
• Where processing is necessary for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine, medical diagnosis, or the provision of health or social care.

These exceptions only apply where the data is held by a health professional who is subject to professional secrecy. Our pharmacy team handles your data under those professional duties.

You can read the Information Commissioner's Office guidance on the right to erasure for special category data at ico.org.uk.

How long we keep medical records

We keep medical records for 8 years and financial records for 7 years. Once that period ends, your records can be securely removed. Until then, they are kept only for the purposes set out above and are not used for any other reason.

How to ask us to close your account

1. Email us at help@oxfordop.co.uk from the email address on the account.
2. Tell us you want the account closed. 
3. We will forward your request to the appropriate team, who will review and process the account closure where possible.

Common scenarios

• You signed up but never ordered, and you want everything removed.
• You no longer use our service and want to stop receiving emails.
• You want to exercise your right to be forgotten under UK GDPR.

What to do next

If you want to close your account, email us from the address on the account and we will action it. If you have specific questions about your data or our retention period, contact us so we can source the information needed. 

Still need help?

See our Contact us article for the best way to reach our team.