"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 websites and maintained by Abbott in an accessible form. Examples of personal information include your name, your postal address, your e-mail address and your telephone number and may also include medical information about you (in which case the additional restrictions noted below regarding "sensitive" information will apply)

Personal Information You Provide:

Abbott collects personal information that you provide offline either directly or through third parties such as healthcare professionals or specialist database providers or that you enter into data fields on Abbott websites. For example, you may submit your name, postal address, email 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. We also do collect sensitive information, such as health related information, in certain circumstances as set out below. To protect your privacy, you should not provide Abbott with any information that is not specifically requested.

Passive Collection Online of Certain Other Technical and Web Browsing Information:

Abbott websites may collect information about your visits to Abbott websites without you actively submitting such information. This information may include, for example, your browser type and language, your operating system, your Internet Protocol (IP) address, the URLs of sites you visited before and after visiting the Abbott website, the web search that landed you on the Abbott website, and web pages and advertisements you view, and links you click on within the Abbott website. This information may be collected using various technologies, such as cookies, Internet tags, and web beacons. Your Internet browser also automatically transmits to Abbott websites some of this information, such as the URL of the web site you just visited and the browser version your computer is operating.

Abbott collects personal information, such as health related information, that may be designated as "sensitive" under Australian data privacy laws directly and indirectly, for example through healthcare professionals. If Abbott collects any such sensitive information it will only do so where it has obtained your consent to do so. In providing such consent you consent to Abbott collecting, transferring, storing, and processing the information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and the terms of any consent you provide.

Abbott will use the personal information you provide to respond to your questions and to provide you with efficient customer service. We may also use this personal information for other business purposes, such as to provide you with products or services, assist in patient care, arrange sponsorships, provide educational activities, obtain consultancy services, offer you the opportunity to receive notices regarding Abbott’s products or services, to invite you to participate in surveys about our products or services, or to notify you about special promotions, unless Abbott receives written notice of your intention to opt out of receiving all Abbott direct marketing communications. To opt out, you may contact Abbott at the email address provided at the end of this Privacy Policy under the header “CONTACT INFORMATION AND POLICY UPDATES

Abbott may combine the personal information that a customer provides on one Abbott website with the personal information provided by that customer on other Abbott websites.

Abbott may combine the personal information that a customer provides offline with personal information already provided by that customer.

Abbott may combine personal information that you provide to us online with our offline records, and vice versa.

Abbott may combine personal information that you have provided to us directly with records provided by third parties.

We use this consolidated information to help us better design Abbott websites and Abbott products to communicate information to you, to enhance our marketing and research activities, and to facilitate other business functions.

You may always limit the amount and type of personal information that Abbott receives about you by choosing not to provide it or enter any personal information into forms or data fields on Abbott websites. Some of our services can only be provided to you if you provide us with appropriate personal information. Abbott may ask whether you wish to opt into or opt out of our contact lists for offers, promotions and additional services that may be of interest to you.

Abbott will not sell or license your personal information to third parties except in connection with the sale or transfer of a product line or division, or in connection with a joint marketing program.

Abbott may share your personal information with third parties with whom Abbott is jointly marketing a product or service or jointly conducting a program or activity. 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.

Abbott may also share your personal information with vendors with whom Abbott contracts to carry out business activities for Abbott. If Abbott provides your personal information to vendors to assist us with our business activities, it is Abbott’s practice to require those vendors to keep your personal information confidential and to use your personal information only to perform functions for Abbott. Additionally, Abbott may share your personal information with a third party in connection with the sale or transfer of one of its product lines or divisions so that the buyer can continue to provide you with information and services.

Abbott may also share your personal information with third parties, such as healthcare practitioners, as a part of any treatment provided to you.

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.

Personal information can be accessed by a restricted number of Abbott employees. We train our employees about the importance of privacy and how to handle and manage customer data appropriately and securely.

Abbott stores data on secured servers and takes reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorized access, modification or disclosure. It is Abbott’s practice to secure each Abbott Web Site that collects personal information; however, when information is collected online 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 websites, you must weigh both the benefits and the risks.

In addition, Abbott websites 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 websites before submitting personal information.

Abbott stores data on secured servers in several countries around the world. Please be aware that information you provide to us or we obtain as a result of your use of the Abbott services may be processed and transferred or disclosed to recipients in countries other than Australia, including the United States, and Malaysia, Singapore, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines and India. The privacy and data protection laws in such countries may not be equivalent to the laws of Australia. By using and participating in any Abbott websites or providing us with your information, you consent to this collection, transfer, disclosure, storage, and processing of information to and in such countries.

When you provide your personal information (other than sensitive information) to us directly or indirectly, we may use this information, such as your email address, to contact you in order to:

• provide you with updated information about our products and services;
• provide you with information about other products and services which you may have an interest in; or
• obtain sponsorships, provide training and other educational activities, seek consultancy services or to contact you for surveys.

Abbott does not knowingly collect or use any personal information from children (we define "children" as minors younger than 13) other than to the extent such information is collected from healthcare practitioners in relation to the care of a child. 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.

In accordance with local law you may request access to personal information that Abbott holds about you, that we remove your personal information from our current customer records, or that we 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.

Please notify us of your complaint or other privacy related matter (including breaches) by contacting us in one of the ways specified below.

A "cookie" is a file that our webserver may send to your computer when you access an Abbott website. This file is then stored on your computer. After you have entered personal information into a form or data field on an Abbott website, Abbott may use cookies and certain other technologies to allow that website to "remember" your personal preferences, such as sections of that website that you visit frequently and, if you choose, your user ID.

Passive information collection technologies can make your use of Abbott websites easier by allowing Abbott to provide better service, customize sites based on consumer preferences, compile statistics, analyze trends, and otherwise administer and improve Abbott websites. Certain features of Abbott websites may not work without use of passive information collection technologies.

You can also learn more about cookies by visiting www.allaboutcookies.org.

• Abbott websites use "session" cookies: Session cookies are temporary bits of information that are erased once you exit your web browser window or otherwise turn your computer off. Session cookies are used, for example, to improve navigation on our websites, block visitors from providing information where inappropriate (the site "remembers" previous entries of age or country of origin that were outside the specified parameters and blocks subsequent changes), and to collect aggregated statistical information.
  
  
• Abbott websites may use "persistent" cookies: Persistent cookies are more permanent bits of information that are placed on the hard drive of your computer and stay there unless you delete the cookie. Persistent cookies store information on your computer for a number of purposes, such as retrieving certain information you have previously provided (e.g., passwords), helping to determine what areas of the web site visitors find most valuable, and customizing the web site based on your preferences on an ongoing basis. Persistent cookies placed by this site on your computer may hold personally identifiable information, but only if you have registered or have otherwise consented to the retention of personally identifiable information you have provided at the site. Otherwise, our site's server only knows that an unidentified visitor with your cookies has returned to the site.
  
  
• Abbott websites may use "web beacons" (also known as internet tags, single-pixel GIFs, clear GIFs, and invisible GIFs): A web beacon is a tiny graphic on a web page or in an email message that is used to track pages viewed or messages opened. Web beacons tell the website server information such as the IP address and browser type related to the visitor's computer. Web beacons may be placed on online advertisements that bring people to our site and on different pages of our site. Web beacons provide us with information on how many times a page is opened and which information is consulted.

You can choose to enable or disable the use of cookies and other tracking technologies on Abbott websites. Exactly how these choices are presented to you and the process for making such choices may vary by website. COPY

On some Abbott websites, you may be asked to explicitly consent to the use of cookies and/or other tracking technologies on that web site. Cookies that are necessary to the operation of the site and to the provision of the services you have requested will continue to function regardless of whether you have provided consent. Other types of cookies and tracking technologies will be turned off until you provide explicit consent. As a result, the functionality of the site may be reduced until you choose to provide explicit consent.

On some Abbott websites, you may be provided with preference questions or boxes allowing you to indicate that you do not want that website to use cookies or other tracking technologies that are not necessary to the operation of the site. If you choose to exercise this opt-out option, the functionality of the site may be reduced as a result.

If you have questions about how to access personal information that Abbott holds about you, queries about other privacy matters (including breaches), or complaints 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 Abbott Web Site you are visiting or by emailing us at webmaster@abbott.com. Alternatively, you may send a letter to the following addresses:

Abbott Laboratories
Attention: Public Affairs, Department 383
100 Abbott Park Road
Abbott Park, IL 60064-6048
U.S.A.

and

Attention: Abbott Privacy Officer
299 Lane Cove Road
Macquarie Park, NSW 2113
Australia

In all communications to Abbott, please include the email address used for registration (if applicable), the Abbott Web Site address or the specific Abbott program to which you provided personal information (e.g. Abbott.com etc.), or details of such other circumstances in which you provided to us or we may have obtained your information, and a detailed explanation of your request. If you would like to delete, amend or correct your personal information and are contacting us by email, please put "Deletion Request" or "Amendment/Correction Request", as applicable, in the subject line of the email. We will do our best to respond to all reasonable requests in a timely manner. If you are not satisfied with how we handle a complaint, you may take your complaint to the regulator in your jurisdiction.

Without prejudice to your rights under applicable law, 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, an updated version of this Privacy Policy will reflect those changes and we will notify you of such changes by updating the effective date at the top of this Privacy Policy.