Privacy Policy
Abbott Laboratories Privacy Policy US Residents
Only
This Policy applies to residents of the United States.
If you are a resident of another country, please click here for applicable
information.
This Privacy Policy explains how we handle the personal information that you
provide to us on web sites controlled by Abbott Laboratories (including its
subsidiaries and affiliates) which link to this Privacy Policy (referred to as
"Abbott web sites"). This Privacy Policy does not apply to personal
information collected from you offline, to Abbott web sites that do not link to
this Privacy Policy, to residents of countries other than the United States, or
to third-party web sites to which Abbott web sites may link. Your use of Abbott
web sites, which link to this Privacy Policy is subject to this Privacy Policy
and the Terms
of Use.
Please read this Privacy Policy before using Abbott web sites or submitting
personal information to us.
How does this Privacy Policy define "personal
information"?
"Personal information" means information that identifies you or could
reasonably be used to identify you and which is submitted to and/or collected
by Abbott web sites and maintained by Abbott in an accessible form. Examples of
personal information include your name, your postal address and your telephone
number.
How does Abbott collect information online?
Abbott collects information in two ways:
- Personal Information You Submit: Abbott collects
personal information that you enter into data fields on Abbott web sites. For
example, you may submit your name, postal address, e-mail address, and/or other
information in order to receive information about various subjects, register
for Abbott programs, contact Abbott customer service, or respond to Abbott
surveys. To protect your privacy, you should not provide Abbott with any
information that is not specifically requested.
- Passive Collection of Unidentifiable Information:
Abbott web sites may collect information about your visits to Abbott web sites
without you actively submitting such information. Unidentifiable information
may be collected using various technologies, such as cookies, Internet tags,
and web beacons. Your Internet browser automatically transmits to Abbott web
sites some of this unidentifiable information, such as the URL of the web site
you just visited and the browser version your computer is operating. Passive
information collection technologies can make your use of Abbott web sites
easier by allowing Abbott to provide better service, customize sites based on
consumer preferences, compile statistics, analyze trends, and otherwise
administer and improve Abbott web sites. Certain features of Abbott web sites
may not work without use of passive information collection technologies.
Information collected by these technologies cannot be used to identity you
without additional identifiable information.
In what circumstances might Abbott collect and use personal
information?
Abbott will use the personal information you provide through Abbott web sites
to respond to your questions and to provide you with efficient customer
service. After you have entered personal information into a form or data field
on an Abbott web site, Abbott may use certain identifying technologies to allow
that web site to "remember" your personal preferences, such as sections
of that web site that you visit frequently and, if you choose, your user ID. We
may also use this personal information for other business purposes, such as to
offer you the opportunity to receive notices regarding Abbott's products or
services, to invite you to participate in surveys about our products, or to
notify you about special promotions.
Does Abbott consolidate personal information?
Abbott may consolidate the personal information of customers who use Abbott web
sites. We use this information to help us better design Abbott web sites and
Abbott products, to communicate information to you, to enhance our marketing
and research activities, and to facilitate other business functions.
What choices do I have about how Abbott collects and uses personal
information about me?
You may always limit the amount and type of personal information that Abbott
receives about you by choosing not to enter any personal information into forms
or data fields on Abbott web sites. Some of our online services can only be
provided to you if you provide us with appropriate personal information. Other
parts of Abbott web sites may ask whether you wish to opt out or opt into our
contact lists for offers, promotions and additional services that may be of
interest to you.
You may also be provided with preference questions or preference boxes
allowing you to indicate that you do not want Abbott web sites to use tracking
technologies, such as cookies, to "remember" your personal information,
such as user IDs or mailing addresses, on return visits. However, Abbott web
sites that use tracking technologies to collect unidentifiable information do
not generally provide you with the ability to opt out of the tracking
technologies. Some Internet browsers allow you to limit or disable the use of
tracking technologies that collect unidentifiable information.
Who will have access to personal information about
me?
Personal information can be accessed by a restricted number of Abbott
employees, by certain companies with which Abbott may conduct joint programs,
and by individuals and entities with whom Abbott contracts to carry out
business activities for Abbott. We train our employees about the importance of
privacy and how to handle and manage customer data appropriately and securely.
Also, it is Abbott's practice to notify you if you are registering for a
program which is conducted in conjunction with another company that may require
access to your personal information. In addition, Abbott's practice is to
require its contractors to keep your personal information confidential and to
use personal information only to perform functions for Abbott.
Does Abbott share personal information with third
parties?
As a general rule, Abbott does not share your personal information with third
parties, unless it is necessary to conduct a joint program or to carry out a
program or activity through a contractor. Where required by law, Abbott will
not disclose your personal information to third parties for those third
parties' marketing purposes, unless you have been provided with an opportunity
to opt into or opt out of this disclosure. However, if Abbott sells one of its
product lines or divisions, your personal information may be transferred to the
buyer so that the buyer can continue to provide you with information and
services. If Abbott provides your personal information to individuals and
entities which assist us with our business activities, it is Abbott's practice
to require those individuals and entities to keep your personal information
confidential and to use your personal information only to perform functions for
Abbott. Abbott reserves the right to disclose your personal information to
respond to authorized information requests from government authorities, to
address national security situations, or when otherwise required by law.
How does Abbott secure personal information?
It is Abbott's practice to secure each web page that collects personal
information; however, the confidentiality of personal information transmitted
over the Internet cannot be guaranteed. We urge you to exercise caution when
transmitting personal information over the Internet, especially personal
information related to your health. Abbott cannot guarantee that unauthorized
third parties will not gain access to your personal information; therefore,
when submitting personal information to Abbott web sites, you must weigh both
the benefits and the risks. In addition, Abbott web sites covered by this
Privacy Policy will display a warning whenever you link to a web site that is
not controlled by Abbott or subject to an Abbott privacy policy; you should
check the privacy policies of such third-party web sites before submitting
personal information.
Abbott has policies, which provide for the proper use and protection of
Social Security numbers obtained in the course of doing business with Abbott.
Abbott's policies require that Social Security numbers be appropriately secured
to avoid loss, misuse or unauthorized access of Social Security numbers. Unlike
this Privacy Policy, which applies only to on-line personal information,
Abbott's policies governing Social Security numbers apply to both on-line and
off-line collection and use of Social Security numbers.
How does Abbott protect the privacy of children?
Abbott does not knowingly collect or use any personal information from children
(we define "children" as minors younger than 13) on Abbott web sites.
We do not knowingly allow children to order our products, communicate with us,
or use any of our online services. If you are a parent and become aware that
your child has provided us with information, please contact us using one of the
methods specified below, and we will work with you to address this issue.
How may I correct personal information or delete it from current
customer records?
You may request to remove your personal information from our current customer
records or to amend your personal information. Please notify us of your wishes
by contacting us in one of the ways specified below. For our record keeping
purposes, we will retain certain personal information you submit in conjunction
with commercial transactions.
How can I contact Abbott?
If you have questions about the use, amendment, or deletion of personal
information that you have provided to us, or if you would like to opt out of
future communications from an Abbott business or a particular Abbott program,
please contact us by clicking on the "Contact Us" link on the web site
you are visiting or by e-mailing us at webmaster@abbott.com. Alternatively, you
may send a letter to the following address:
Abbott Laboratories
Attention: Public Affairs, Department 383
100 Abbott Park Road
Abbott Park, IL 60064-6048
In all communications to Abbott, please include the e–mail address used for
registration (if applicable), the web site address or the specific Abbott
program to which you provided personal information (e.g. Abbott.com,
Humira.com, etc.), and a detailed explanation of your request. If you would
like to delete or amend your personal information and are contacting us by
e-mail, please put "Deletion Request" or "Amendment Request",
as applicable, in the subject line of the e-mail. We will do our best to
respond to all reasonable requests in a timely manner.
How will I know whether Abbott has updated this
policy?
Abbott reserves the right to amend this Privacy Policy without prior notice to
reflect technological advancements, legal and regulatory changes and good
business practices. If Abbott changes its privacy practices, a new Privacy
Policy will reflect those changes and the effective date of the revised Privacy
Policy will be set forth in this paragraph. This Privacy Policy was last
updated on October 2, 2008 and is effective as of that date.