Last updated: 9 October 2026
1. Who we are
Marnichem Pharmacy is operated by BLUE NIGHTINGALE TRADING 132 (PTY) LTD, a community pharmacy with pharmacy registration number WC01 006C.
Physical address:
ERF 25112, Industrial Road
George Industria, 6529
South Africa
General enquiries: sales@marnichem.co.za
Telephone: 072 961 9195
Information Officer: Martinus van Aswegen
Privacy enquiries: martinus@marnichem.co.za
This policy explains how we handle personal information when you use our website, create an account, upload a prescription, purchase products or contact us. Our orders and deliveries are restricted to South Africa. Customers may arrange delivery within South Africa or collection at the pharmacy.
2. Information we collect
Depending on your interaction with us, we collect:
- Your name, contact details, billing and delivery addresses, and account information.
- Prescription uploads and the patient, prescriber and medicine information contained in them.
- Order details, payment confirmations, transaction references, delivery or collection information, and refund records.
- Professional and practice details needed to verify and approve doctor accounts.
- Messages and information you provide when requesting assistance.
- Technical information generated through website use, such as IP addresses, browser information, login activity and security logs.
Our website does not separately request medical histories, allergies or diagnoses beyond prescriptions and standard customer details. However, prescriptions and correspondence may contain health information. A pharmacist may also need to clarify information relevant to the safe and lawful supply of medicine.
Please provide only information relevant to your enquiry or order. If you submit information for another person, you must be authorised to do so.
3. Where information comes from
We principally collect information directly from you. We may also receive relevant information from an authorised representative, your prescriber, a doctor placing an order, payment providers and delivery providers.
Where necessary, we contact a prescriber to verify or clarify a prescription.
4. Why we use your information
We use information to:
- Create, verify and administer customer and doctor accounts.
- Assess prescriptions and determine whether an order can be supplied.
- Prepare patient-specific compounded medicines and dispense other medicines.
- Process payments, fulfil orders and arrange delivery or collection.
- Respond to enquiries, investigate complaints and handle refunds.
- Maintain pharmacy and transaction records.
- Manage medicine safety issues, including recalls.
- Protect our website and detect suspected fraud or misuse.
Patient prescription orders are reviewed by a pharmacist before a payment request is sent. We may reject an invalid prescription or an order we cannot lawfully or safely supply. Approved doctors may place orders directly through their accounts, subject to applicable medicine-supply requirements.
Required information is identified during the relevant process. Without information needed to verify a prescription, fulfil an order or meet a legal duty, we may be unable to provide that service.
5. Our lawful grounds for processing
We process information on an applicable lawful ground, including consent, performance of a contract, compliance with law, or a legitimate interest recognised by POPIA.
Health information receives additional protection. We process it only where a specific legal authorisation applies, including necessary pharmacy care and related administration under section 32 of POPIA. Access remains subject to confidentiality duties.
Where processing depends on consent, you may withdraw that consent. This does not invalidate earlier lawful processing or prevent retention required by law. Using our website does not constitute blanket consent to unrelated uses of your information.
6. Access to prescriptions and service providers
Routine access to prescriptions and patient information within Marnichem is restricted to the pharmacist and authorised pharmacy assistants who need it for their duties.
Uploaded prescriptions are stored in a private, non-public directory. They are not intended to be accessible through public website pages.
We use the following systems and services:
| System or service | Purpose |
|---|---|
| WooCommerce | Customer accounts and order management |
| BobPay | Payment processing |
| BobGo and Aramex | Delivery coordination and courier services |
| WP Mail / email delivery services | Transactional communications |
| Wordfence | Website security |
The information handled by each service depends on its role and configuration. We limit information shared to what is needed for that purpose. Courier services ordinarily need delivery and contact information, rather than a copy of your prescription.
Hosting, maintenance and other technical providers may process information where necessary to operate or support these systems. Any authorised access must be limited and subject to appropriate confidentiality and security arrangements.
We may also disclose relevant information to an authorised healthcare professional or where disclosure is required or permitted by law, including to regulators.
We do not sell your personal information. Additional providers may be introduced as our services develop; material changes to how information is handled will be reflected in this policy.
7. Cookies and communications
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to support functions such as accounts, shopping carts, checkout and security. Blocking these technologies through your browser may affect those functions.
If we introduce optional analytics, advertising or other tracking, we will explain the relevant processing and provide any choices or consent mechanisms required by law before using it.
Order confirmations, payment requests, delivery updates and medicine-safety messages are service communications.
If we undertake electronic direct marketing, we will obtain the required consent or rely on a permitted existing-customer exception. Marketing messages will identify us and provide a free way to opt out. You can also send an opt-out request to sales@marnichem.co.za.
8. Information processed outside South Africa
Restricting deliveries to South Africa does not necessarily mean that every technology provider processes information locally.
Where information is transferred outside South Africa, we will use a lawful transfer mechanism under POPIA, such as adequate protection through applicable law or a binding agreement, or another permitted ground. Additional requirements may apply to health information and children’s information.
You may contact our Information Officer for information about relevant recipients and safeguards.
9. How long we retain information
We retain information according to the type of record, its purpose and the applicable legal requirements.
Prescription books and other permanent records covered by regulation 35 of the General Regulations under the Medicines and Related Substances Act are retained for at least five years after the last entry in the relevant record.
Other prescription documents, patient records and compounding records are retained for their applicable statutory or professional periods. A longer period may be necessary for continuing care, an investigation, a dispute or another lawful reason.
Accounting and transaction records are retained for the applicable tax and company-law periods. Website account information, correspondence and security logs are retained only while needed for their purpose or another lawful retention requirement.
Closing a website account does not automatically delete the pharmacy records associated with it. When retention is no longer justified, we securely destroy, delete or de-identify the information. Backup copies are managed through the applicable backup and deletion cycle.
10. Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect information against loss, misuse and unauthorised access or disclosure. These include restricted access to prescription storage and website security measures.
No electronic system can guarantee absolute security. Please protect your account credentials and notify us promptly of suspected unauthorised use.
If a security compromise requires notification under POPIA, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected people as soon as reasonably possible, subject to the limited delays permitted by law.
11. Children’s information
Where a prescription or order concerns a child, we process the child’s information only where legally authorised, including through the consent of a competent person where required. We may verify the authority of the person acting for the child.
12. Your rights and complaints
Subject to applicable legal requirements, you may request access to your information, correction or deletion, object to certain processing, or withdraw consent.
Send requests to martinus@marnichem.co.za. We may verify your identity and explain any applicable procedure, lawful fee or reason information must be retained. POPIA and PAIA procedures may apply.
You may also complain directly to the Information Regulator (South Africa) through its website or eServices portal. Current request and complaint forms are available on the Regulator’s forms page.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when our services, systems or legal obligations change. The latest version will appear on this page with its revision date. Where required, we will give additional notice or obtain consent before introducing a new use of information.