Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 2023

At ISoP, we have always been committed to protecting the members and PV colleagues’ privacy.
As member of ISoP, PV colleague or any visitor, the way we keep you informed and updated about the Society and its activities is solely through emails.

You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time (see Your Data – Your Rights)

What’s covered in this Policy

1. The Personal Data we collect and how we use it
2. Cookies
3. How we collect personal data
4. Where and how long your data will be stored
5. Your Data – Your Rights
6. Terms of Service
7. Communications and Marketing
8. Sharing Information
9. Security

This policy applies to:

• International Society of Pharmacovigilance, non-profit scientific organisation, registered in Geneva, Switzerland
• ISoP Secretariat Ltd, company number 06034662, London SW12, UK

The International Society of Pharmacovigilance, its Chapters and Special Interest Groups, and its subsidiary ISoP Secretariat Ltd are referred as ISoP. This policy applies to all pages hosted on this site and other services ISoP runs electronically. It does not apply to other ISoP partners.

By submitting your data to ISoP, you are accepting this Privacy Policy and authorise ISoP to collect, store and process your information in the ways explained below.

Your Privacy
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your personal data and how we will collect, use and store your personal data. Please check it regularly as we may update this policy time to time.

1. The Personal Data we collect and how we use it

General information we may collect and hold about you are as follows:

• Your personal details: full name, title gender and age;
• Email address;
• Your professional details: current job position, institution name and type, country of residence and type of affilaition;
• Qualifications;
• Postal address;
• Telephone number(s);
• Records of your correspondence with us (including details of how you would like to be involved and contribute to the Society);
• Information you enter into our websites and digital products and details of how you use those websites and digital products;
• Dietary, and accessibility information;
• Photographs and digital images of groups or/and individuals;
• Details of your interests and expertise;
• Details of why you have decided to join ISoP and how you have heard about us;
• Amount of your membership or training fee and any payment date(s).

Your professional details: current job position, institution name and type, country of residence and type of affilaition; are processed within the Membership Application form to automatically determine the appropriate level of membership for an applicant whilst using the form, based on the conditions outlined on the Join ISoP page.

ISoP, its Chapters and its Special Interest Groups (SIGs) will hold and process your details on its database for the purpose of administering the ISoP membership, networking and informing you about ISoP activities.

As a member of ISoP, Pharmacovigilance colleague, or any visitor, the way we respond to your requests, keep you informed and updated about the Society and its activities is solely through emails where we may also use an email marketing company (MailChimp).

We will use your personal data to:

• Provide you with the information, event or service you have requested from us, including electronic access to the Member section of the website, responding to your enquiries and requests, attending educational activities and events (training courses, seminars, symposia or conference), sending Call for abstracts, renewals and to tell you about our activities;
• Provide you with other information, which we feel may interest you. This may include newsletters, updates, consultations campaigns, surveys or questionnaires for you to complete, details of relevant volunteering opportunities, and details of any meetings we are running, as member or non- member.  We may also send you details of events we think you may be interested in attending;
• Administer all aspects of your ISoP membership (including using MemberPress software – member section of our website);
• Renew your ISoP membership (past and present) and re-join ISoP;
• Administer and process payments you make for membership and / or training registrations;
• Verify your identity where required to use some of our discounts and benefits;
• Understand your interests and personalise our services and communications to you (for example, communication with the geographic chapters or / and Special Interest Groups);
• Create a roster of available trainers for our training/meeting (by region and expertise);
  Sometimes it is necessary to process your personal data with you. For example, if you register for one of our event and pay for your registration fee to attend a training, or/and become a member of ISoP through your registration, we will then require your personal data to enable us to perform our services.

Information about relevant non-ISoP activities may occasionally be sent to ISoP members, unless you ask for them not to be sent.

Information about ISoP meetings or/and membership may occasionally be sent to past members, ISoP training participants unless you ask for them not to be sent.

You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. See Your Data – Your Rights

2. Cookies

About cookies
Cookies are files that are sent by web servers to web browsers, which may then be sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.

Cookies can be used by web servers to identity and track users as they navigate different pages on a website, and to identify users returning to a website.

Cookies may be either “persistent” cookies or “session” cookies. A persistent cookie consists of a text file sent by a web server to a web browser, which will be stored by the browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date (unless deleted by the user before the expiry date). A session cookie, on the other hand, will expire at the end of the user session, when the web browser is closed.

Cookies on this website
We use both session cookies and persistent cookies on this website.

We will send to you the following cookies:

• Necessary
  Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.
• Functional
  Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.
• Analytics
  Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
• Performance
  Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
• Advertisement
  Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

How we use cookies
Cookies do not contain any information that personally identifies you, but personal information that we store about you may be linked, by us, to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.

We may use the information we obtain from your use of our cookies for the following purposes:
to recognise your computer when you visit our website;
to track you as you navigate our website, and to enable better use of the navigation menus on our website;

• to improve the website’s usability;
• to analyse the use of our website;
• in the administration of this website;

Third party cookies
We use Google Analytics to analyse the use of this website. Google Analytics generates statistical and other information about website use by means of cookies, which are stored on users’ computers. The information generated relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of the website. Google will store this information. Google’s privacy policy is available at www.google.com/privacypolicy.html.

Blocking cookies
If you don’t want to receive cookies, you can modify your browser so that it notifies you when cookies are sent to it or you can refuse cookies altogether. You can also delete cookies that have already been set.

If you wish to restrict or block web browser cookies, which are set on your device, then you can do this through your browser settings; the Help function within your browser should tell you how. Alternatively, you may wish to visit www.aboutcookies.org, which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of desktop browsers.

3. How we collect personal data

You may give us your personal data to apply for membership, receive information from us, buy subscriptions or services from us including administering and renewing membership, registering for meetings and webinars, when you volunteer with us or when you engage with us on our website and social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube).

We collect personal data when you use our website, isoponline.org. Whenever you insert personal data via our online application form (for example, if you become a member or renew a membership online, book a webinar or a course online) or download any of our resources from our Members-Only section, we will collect the personal data that you give to us, including your IP address.

Links to other Internet Websites
We may link our website directly to other external sites for your convenience in locating PV information and resources. These websites hosted by third parties may have different practices.
This privacy policy does not cover external websites and we are not responsible for the privacy policies of those sites.

4. Where and how long your data will be stored

We keep members’ personal data only for as long as a member remains a member, or as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.

Member Application Process
The information provided using the Membership Application form will be held within a members ‘user profile’ most of which is editable by the member themselves, see: See Your Data – Your Rights

Once your Membership Application has been processed, your data will be held on account for the duration of your membership, plus up to 12 months, this allows us to keep your account active should you wish to renew your subscription. This data includes, first name, last name, gender, age, qualifications, job title (current position), institution name and type, country of residence, full address, email, and type of affiliation, your reasons for joining ISoP and the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that are of interest to you. Additionally we keep a record to confirm consent for Membership Terms, Refunds Policy, Marketing and Communication consent and the ISoP Privacy Policy and Code of Conduct.

Subscription payment is processed simultaneously after completing the application where you will be directed to a confirmation page and invited to login using your chosen username and password.

Members can amend their details at any time by selecting Change password and Update your Information when logged in.

Registration
To use the Members-Only section of the website, registered members must login to the website – with a username (email address) and password – where they can access the ISoP journal Drug Safety or register for an event.

Data Breach
If we believe a data breach may have occurred, the breach will be reported to the Information Commissioners Office and all affected subjects who own the data without undue delay and not later than 72 hours after having become aware of it.

Limited financial data may be held by ISoP – Please see Terms of Service for further details.

5. Your Data – Your Rights

These include the ability to withdraw your consent, the right to correction, and the right to be forgotten.

In the case of live membership subscriptions you can manually view and amend your data at any time by viewing ‘Your Profile’ (when logged in to your account).

To view the information submitted during the registration process please use the form provided below or contact us at: administration@isoponline.org

If /when you have provided your consent to us for using your personal data for a specific purpose, you always have the right to review, amend or withdraw your consent at any time by using the form provided below or by contacting administration@isoponline.org

Your data – Your duties

You must ensure that the data you provide us with is:
• Correct
• Current
• Compliant with any applicable laws.

In particular, since we will mainly use email communications with you, you are required to notify us of any modification of your email address. Alternatively, you can directly update your Contact Profile.

If/when applying for, or on behalf of another individual, the details used at registration must be those of the intended subscriber.

6. Terms of Service

Standard Membership
Standard ISoP membership subscriptions are annually recurring (Auto-Renew) with payment being taken electronically every year. Fees are payable in EUROS only. Membership subscriptions will be renewed 365 days from the date of registration with payment automatically debited from your card unless you choose to cancel your membership subscription via ‘Your Profile’ (when logged in to your account) or request your member subscription to be cancelled at administration@isoponline.org.

Our membership subscriptions are annual, and you may cancel at any point via ‘Your Profile’ (when logged in to your account) and you will retain full access until the anniversary of your initial registration.

Notice of membership subscription renewal will be sent via email 28 days and 1 day before the anniversary of the initial registration. A final reminder message is sent 14 days after the expiry date (within 15 days of the date of this notice we will consider the membership void).

Payments for ISoP membership subscriptions are taken via our secure payment provider Stripe. The ISoP website does not store or process payment information locally. That information is securely transmitted to and stored by the Payment Gateway itself (Stripe). Although some limited information about the Credit Cards may be stored in the ISoP database including the last 4 digits and expiration date of the user’s credit card; this is used for Expiring Card Reminder Emails.

In the event that Credit Card credentials may have expired or changed you will be invited by email to update the details via ‘Your Profile’ (when logged in to your account).

ISoP is not a VAT registered company.

Upon request, membership fees can only be refunded, minus the bank charges and 10% administration fee, up to one month after the membership renewal date. After this date, no refunds will be available.

Reduced Income / Special Circumstances
This membership category is reserved for applicants who are: On long-term sickness, unemployed, on unpaid maternity leave or other unpaid career breaks, unpaid study leave, or retired for a period of more than 6 months. Applicants will be asked during their application to justify why they should be considered for a reduced membership; the application will then be reviewed by the ISoP Secretary General. If the application is approved, applicants will be notified by email.

Bank Transfers
For new applications ‘Bank Transfer’ must be selected as the Payment option within the application form. If your application is successful you will be notified by email with instructions of how to pay and register.

To pay by Bank Transfer for subscription renewals please contact administration@isoponline.org

General Terms
Membership is for individuals only, is not transferable and is intended for the subscriber.
(If applying for, or on behalf of another individual, the details used at registration must be those of the intended subscriber. In particular, the associated email address, which will become the subscriber’s username. After registration usernames cannot be edited).

ISoP does not grant refunds for membership dues paid to the Society, with exception of recurring payments as described above.

7. Communications and Marketing

We communicate with members on a regular basis to provide requested services.

We may contact you, by email to promote our meetings and other activities that might be of interest to you. However, you can opt-out from receiving our communications, or update your contact preferences at any time by selecting Unsubscribe or Update subscription preferences respectively from the footer of any email you may receive from us. Alternatively, please contact administration@isoponline.org

Once you sign up, you give permission to ISoP that your email address and country details will be added manually to a list on our marketing platform ‘MailChimp’. As above, you can opt-out from receiving the communications and remove yourself from the ISoP mailchimp list using Unsubscribe.

Information about ISoP meetings or/and membership may occasionally be sent to past members, ISoP training participants unless people ask for them not to be sent. You can opt-out from receiving our communications by contacting administration@isoponline.org

8. Sharing Information

Any information you provide to ISoP will not be used in ways to which you have not consented.  Any and all of the information collected at this site will be kept confidential. We do not sell, publish or share email addresses or any other visitor information with third parties (for exceptions see below).

We occasionally disclose your personal data (name, organisation, job title, country and e-mail address) to partners such as conference organisers, training coordinators, chapters & special interest groups (which may include non-ISoP Members) for purposes described in section 1.

Springer Nature / Adis
For the purpose of electronic distribution of the Drug Safety journal as part of an ISoP membership and based on a contract between ISoP and Springer Nature, ISoP will forward your registered e-mail contact to Springer publishers. The processing of the data itself and rendering of the e-mail services can be performed by a non-Springer company or its related companies, as contractually agreed.

Information about relevant Drug Safety journal activities (like e.g. so-called TOC – Table of Content – or other alerts) will be sent to ISoP members by e-mail, unless you ask for them not to be sent.

Transfer of Data
ISoP works with third parties to support its activities (training, meeting) and/or services (re registration, sponsorship, hotel booking, airplane tickets, badges provider etc.), and in particular regarding the organisation of the Annual Meetings where personal data would be shared by third parties such as a Professional Conference Organizer (PCO).

Annual Meeting registration & Membership from Annual Meeting registration
Non-member registration fees include a one-year membership of ISoP. The organizers of the annual meeting will pass delegates and speakers personal data to ISoP to manage the new memberships and registrations. A welcome letter will be sent after the conference to these new members, following confirmation of acceptance by the ISoP Applications Committee.

Virtual events & online meeting platforms
ISoP uses online meeting platforms for events (Zoom). The implementation of the ISoP Zoom platform currently consisting of 3 licenses (accounts) including one with a webinar facility and/or up-to 500 participants. The intention driving the design of this platform is to encourage any engaged ISoP member to use it for setting-up ISoP events, meetings, or presentation recording under the scope of ISoP activities.

ISoP uses appropriate security restrictions provided by the platforms, but cannot be held accountable for any information security breaches associated with those systems. Participants/ members join at their own risk. Please refer to the Zoom Privacy Policy.

Virtual meetings may be recorded and posted on ISoP YouTube channel or Vimeo. If/when ISoP uses clips from those events on the website or social media platforms, a consent form will be provided outlining the agreement (if needed).

9. Security

ISoP uses technical and organisational measures intended to keep your data secure, including using an SSL certificate (https) on our web pages and a site-wide Firewall to reduce the risk of unauthorised interception of your communications during your visits to the website. Please ensure that you keep your password safe and do not share it with anyone.

Our online payment gateway has a secure connection, which is directly managed by Stripe Payments Europe Ltd, a payment processing company. Please refer to the Stripe Privacy Policy