New Zealand Pharmacy Accidentally Posted Private Patient Messages Online

Unichem Petone, a pharmacy in Wellington, New Zealand, discovered that private messages from patients were accidentally visible on the internet. The pharmacy described this as an error on their website that affected messages sent through their contact form. The pharmacy has now removed the exposed information from the internet. If you sent a private message to Unichem Petone pharmacy through their website contact form, your personal health information may have been visible to anyone online. The pharmacy says 29 patients were affected by this leak. Your message might have included sensitive details about medications, health conditions, or personal questions you asked the pharmacist.

If you are one of the 29 affected patients, Unichem Petone says they are contacting you directly.

Here is what you should do:

1. Wait for contact from the pharmacy and follow any instructions they provide.
2. Be extra cautious about scam calls or emails over the next few months. Someone who saw your information might try to use it to trick you.
3. If your message included information about medications or health conditions, consider whether anyone knowing that information could harm you. If you are concerned, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about what to watch for.
4. If you receive any suspicious contact claiming to be from the pharmacy or about your health, verify it by calling the pharmacy directly using a phone number you find yourself, not one provided in the message. When contacting any healthcare provider online, remember that website forms can sometimes have technical problems. For very sensitive health questions, calling directly or speaking in person gives you more control over your privacy. Always check that a healthcare website shows a secure connection (look for the padlock symbol in your browser) before entering personal information.