Enquiry anonymisation is the removal of patient and enquirer IDs from a medical-information enquiry. A MedInfo response has to stay non-promotional, since Part 14 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and the ABPI Code separate medical information from advertising. anonym.plus does this locally, so the clinical question survives without naming the enquirer.
When this applies
An enquiry to a MedInfo team names the individual and the asking clinician. Logging it for trend work or training needs the question only — and if it mentions a suspected reaction, the case also enters pharmacovigilance intake.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the request in anonym.plus on your device.
- It scans the text for patient and enquirer names.
- Dates, contacts, and IDs get flagged in the entry.
- Confirm the flags; the product and question stay as non-IDs.
- Swap each ID for a label, or black it out.
- Save the clean copy; the source stays on your machine.
What you need to provide
- The enquiry (DOCX, PDF, TXT, or email export).
- An operator (Replace keeps the question readable).
- Optional allow-list for product terms.
Patient data entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | asking GP → [ENQUIRER] |
| Names | PERSON | patient named → [PATIENT] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | received 18 Apr → [DATE] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | gp@example.com → [EMAIL] |
| Contact | PHONE_NUMBER | +44 30 555 2211 → [PHONE] |
| Identifiers | ID | enquiry ref 33120 → [ID] |
Compliance achieved
- A response must stay non-promotional: Part 14 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and the ABPI Code of Practice keep medical information separate from advertising.
- An enquiry that mentions a suspected reaction becomes a reportable case under Part 11 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and GVP Module VI, so the intake copy still needs the clinical facts.
- Processing for medicinal-product safety rests on UK GDPR Art. 9(2)(i) with DPA 2018 Schedule 1, Part 1, paragraph 3.
- Offline work means no cloud processor and no UK GDPR Art. 28 contract.
Anonymise medical information enquiries offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
Enquiries are free text and often quote a real case. The product name stays, since it is not patient data. Anonymising the log copy does not discharge your pharmacovigilance duty — if the enquiry carries a suspected reaction, the case still has to reach safety intake. Review case detail that, with a place or a rare event, could point to one person after direct IDs are removed.
Frequently asked questions
Is the product name removed?
No. A product name is not patient data, so it stays. Only the patient and enquirer IDs are taken out, which keeps the query useful for trend work.
What if the enquiry contains an adverse reaction?
Then it is also a safety case. Route it into pharmacovigilance intake under HMR 2012 Part 11 and GVP Module VI first; the anonymised copy is for your MedInfo trend log.
Does this require a data-sharing agreement?
No. The tool runs on your own device with no cloud step, so no outside party touches the data and no UK GDPR Art. 28 processor contract arises.