Update from NPA Insurance – New partnership with OSR

As technology becomes indispensable within community pharmacy, the vulnerabilities to cyber threats continue to grow in a number of ways – from data theft and corruption to financial losses and a danger to customer safety.

NPA Insurance has partnered with cyber insurance specialist OSR to provide its members with relevant and flexible cyber protection against these very real emerging risks.

While community pharmacy might not be the first industry associated with cyber threats, its reliance on technology for functions such as electronic prescriptions, patient record management and online services make it just as vulnerable. Unfortunately, however, the urgent need for protection against cyber-crime is still neither fully recognised nor understood and consequently not perceived as an insurable risk.

Yet cyber-attacks can have a huge and damaging effect on all areas of the business – from loss of revenue and the inability to access online systems to handling customer complaints and running the day-to-day business. These threats will only become more prevalent as community pharmacy takes on a more diverse role within the provision of primary healthcare and the growth of e-pharmacy.

 

Julie Dawson, Business Development Manager at NPA Insurance explained why it has partnered with OSR to protect its members:

 

“The threat of cyber-crime has intensified for community pharmacy as we have seen the role of technology become intrinsic to day-to-day operations. We wanted to work with a partner who can provide our members with strategies to protect their business and their customers. We are delighted to be working with the team at OSR to help our members mitigate emerging cyber-related risks through the delivery of relevant, flexible cover.”

 

The cover provided by OSR’s Optimum Cyber Plus policy offers NPA Insurance members with a range of benefits to protect their businesses, including:

  • Round-the-clock cyber emergency response team comprised of IT forensics experts, lawyers and PR experts to advise on how to deal with a breach and get up and running again as quickly as possible.
  • Cover for network interruption losses, including costs associated with reputational harm.
  • Extended cover for cloud, remote or outsourced locations.
  • Cover for e-theft losses.
  • Cover for human error or accidental deletion of data.
  • Liability for losses caused by the transfer of any malware, virus or ransomware to a third party.
  • Liability and compensation costs associated with a data breach or breach of any privacy legislation.

 

Freddy Knight, Innovation Director at OSR, commented on the new partnership with NPA Insurance:

“As a specialist provider of cyber insurance, our team really understands the unique cyber risks inherent to community pharmacy. We will delve into practical ways to mitigate these risks and explore how cyber insurance can be an integral part of pharmacies’ overall security strategy. We will be working with NPA Insurance to help its members navigate the complexities of cyber security and provide solutions to protect community pharmacy and its customers”.

To find out more about the new cyber cover or to request a copy of the NPA Insurance Guide to Cyber Risk in Community Pharmacy, simply call 01727 800 410  or email insuranceservices@npa.co.uk.