AskaPatient.com protects the patient's right to privacy. We recognize the benefits of providing health care consumers an anonymous way to share and compare their medication experiences with other patients. Unlike many other web sites, we do not require registration to use any portion of this site, and we do not require users to divulge their email address or any other personally identifying information. We also do not require users to use their “Facebook” or other logons in order to get a password for this site. Patients who post their email address along with their comments in the rate-your-medicine database do so at their own discretion. Browser cookies must be turned on to contribute ratings. Postings are monitored for spam, duplicates, and offensive postings. Please report spam so that it may be removed.

"Cookies" are used in certain parts of this web site.  They are small pieces of information that a website attaches to your browser when you visit that website. We may use both session cookies (which expire once you close your web browser) and persistent cookies (which stay on your computer until deleted).  For polls, for example, we may use cookies to help ensure that an individual can't vote more than once on a particular question or issue. Cookies can be removed by following your Internet browser's directions within the help tab. In order to use certain parts of the site, your web browser must accept cookies. If you choose to disable cookies, some aspects of the site may not work properly.

An "Internet protocol address" or "IP Address" is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer when you use the Internet. We  may track your IP Address when you access the site as part of our site analytics and usage data.

We may provide you the opportunity to ’opt-in’ of having your email address used for newsletter and other announcements from AskaPatient. In addition, you may choose to share your email address so that you may communicate with other patients who may visit the site.  If you set up a password account but do not wish to receive any newsletters or emails from us, or if you no longer wish to receive our newsletters, you may opt-out of receiving them by following the instructions included in each newsletter, by signing into your account or by emailing us.

Third Party Advertising

Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this website.  Google's use of the DART cookie enables it and its partners to serve ads based on their visit to this and other sites on the Internet. Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the advertising opt-out page.(http://www.google.com/privacy/ads/)
Alternatively, you can opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page at www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp.

Why don't we offer Facebook or other "OpenID" logins as a logon option?

We don’t offer log-on through the Facebook identification system or other "OpenID Login" systems for privacy reasons.  Once you sign into a web site through Facebook, your searches and page views and form usage are linked to your Facebook account and affiliates.  Most users of health care web sites want to keep their health care searches and postings confidential. In addition, some users might not realize that if they save time by using the “Log on with your Facebook” option, that data mining can and probably will occur of your site activity. Since health care concerns are typically very personal and private, AskaPatient does not even offer this as an option, because not everyone realizes the extent to which their privacy is being compromised by these services, some of which may track emails, page views, contacts, and even keystrokes. Of course, you are free to use your Facebook or other email and password combination at this site, but it will not be linked to your Facebook account.  All passwords are encrypted in email activation messages and may be reset but not retrieved by the system.