Our approach to privacy
PsychiatryRx is built to need as little of your information as possible. You do not need an account to read anything on the site. The site does not ask for health information, and it is designed so that you can learn about a medication without identifying yourself. This policy explains the limited information the site does involve, how consent works, and how everything is handled.
PsychiatryRx and health privacy law
PsychiatryRx is an educational publication. It is not a healthcare provider, a health plan, or a healthcare clearinghouse, and it is not a covered entity under the U.S. health privacy law known as HIPAA. The site does not create medical records, and it is built so that you can read about a medication without giving any health information about yourself. Please do not send personal health details to the site or through the support email. If you are a patient of a clinical practice, including shrinkMD, the privacy of your care with that practice is governed by that practice's own notice of privacy practices, which is separate from this site and this policy.
Consent, in plain English
The first time you arrive, a small bar at the bottom of the page asks whether you're willing to let Google Analytics measure your visit. Two buttons:
- Accept analytics. Google Analytics runs and drops the cookies described in the cookies page.
- Reject non-essential. Google Analytics stays turned off. Nothing else changes about how the site works.
Until you choose, Google Analytics is effectively off by default. We use Google's Consent Mode v2 to enforce this: consent for analytics_storage, ad_storage, ad_user_data, and ad_personalization is set to denied at load, and only flips to granted if you press Accept. Consent for functionality_storage and security_storage (things like remembering your consent choice, or preventing abuse) is granted by default because the site can't operate without them.
Your choice is remembered in a first-party cookie called psyrx_consent. You can change it any time on the cookies page.
We do not run advertising cookies, cross-site tracking, or behavioral profiling. Consent Mode's ad-consent signals are set to denied and stay there.
Information we collect
Information you do not have to give. There is no account, no sign-up, and no form that asks for personal or health details in order to read the site.
Information collected automatically. Like almost all websites, PsychiatryRx and its hosting provider keep standard server logs. These can include your device's IP address, the type and version of your browser, the operating system you are using, the screen size, the referring page, the pages you visit, and the date and time of your visit. This information is used to operate the site, keep it secure, and diagnose technical problems.
Google Analytics 4 (opt-in only). PsychiatryRx uses Google Analytics 4 to understand which pages and features readers use. Google Analytics runs only if you press Accept analytics on the consent banner. When enabled, Google Analytics drops the cookies described in the cookies page, stores a pseudonymous client identifier, and sends event data (page views, clicks) to Google. IP anonymization is enabled at collection so that Google does not store your full IP address alongside your event data. If you press Reject non-essential, Google Analytics does not set cookies and does not send identifiable data.
Information you choose to give. If you email the support address, we receive your email address and whatever you write. We use it only to respond to you, to maintain a record of the conversation, and to address any follow-up.
Saved pages. If you bookmark or save pages on the site, that list is stored only in your own browser, on your own device, using browser local storage. It is never sent to a server, and PsychiatryRx cannot see it. Clearing your browser storage removes it.
Third-party services
PsychiatryRx relies on a small number of outside services to run:
- A website hosting provider, which processes server logs as described above to deliver the site.
- Google Analytics 4 (Google LLC), which receives event data (page views, clicks) only if you accept the consent banner. Google is a US-based provider, and Google Analytics data may be transferred to and processed in the United States. Google's terms are at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.
- A web-font provider, which may receive your IP address when it serves a font file.
- An email provider, which processes any message you send to the support address.
These services may process limited technical information, such as IP addresses, in order to deliver the site or respond to you. PsychiatryRx does not share your personal information with third parties for advertising or marketing purposes.
How long we keep information
We keep information only as long as we need to.
- Server logs are typically retained for a short period, generally no longer than 90 days, for security and diagnostics.
- Google Analytics 4 is configured with the shortest supported data retention period for user and event data (currently 2 months). Aggregated reports Google generates on top of that data may persist longer in Google's systems.
- Email correspondence is kept for as long as needed to respond and to keep a reasonable record of past requests. It is deleted on request where we are able.
- Browser local storage stays on your device until you clear it.
- Your consent choice cookie (
psyrx_consent) lasts 365 days or until you clear cookies.
How we use information
We use the limited information described above only to operate and secure the site, to understand in aggregate which content readers find useful, and to respond to messages you send us. That is all.
What we do not do
PsychiatryRx does not sell or rent your personal information. It does not run advertising. It does not use behavioral re-targeting. It does not enable Google Signals, Google's cross-device / cross-site tracking feature in Google Analytics. Google Analytics ad-consent signals stay denied. If you are signed into a Google account when you press Accept, Google can still associate the event data with your account under Google's own terms; that is Google's practice, not something we enable.
Children's privacy
PsychiatryRx is intended for adults. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.
Your choices and your rights
You can use the site without giving any personal information. You can change your analytics consent at any time on the cookies page. You can clear your saved pages and any stored data through your browser at any time.
Depending on where you live, you may have rights over your personal information, such as the right to know what is held about you, to request its deletion, to correct it, or to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. PsychiatryRx does not sell personal information.
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, gives you the right to know what personal information is collected about you, to request its deletion, to correct it, and to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. PsychiatryRx does not sell personal information and does not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. Residents of other states that have adopted similar privacy laws have comparable rights. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address below. We will not treat you differently for making a privacy request.
If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, our legal basis for processing analytics data with Google Analytics 4 is your consent. Legal basis for standard server logs is our legitimate interest in operating and securing the site.
Do Not Track and browser privacy signals
Some browsers can send a Do Not Track signal or a Global Privacy Control signal. Where a recognized opt-out preference signal applies, the site treats it as a valid opt-out for analytics that require consent, including Google Analytics 4.
Data security
We take reasonable steps to protect the limited information the site involves. No website or method of transmission is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the site changes. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.
Contact
Privacy questions can be sent to [email protected].