In April 2023, Professor John Skerritt retired from his position of Deputy Secretary Health Products Regulation Group, a role he has been in since 2012. During his time at the TGA he had line responsibility for over 1200 staff involved in the regulation of therapeutic goods, regulation of gene technology and industrial chemicals and control of drug import, export and production.
During the COVID-19 pandemic he was part of the “public face” for media and community groups, conducting over 100 interviews, seminars and media conferences, including with the Prime Minister and Health Minister.
He became synonymous with, and the public face of, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, leaving behind an extraordinary record of public service.
During this time it was his reassurances that left Australians confident in the approval and regulation of medicines, vaccines and treatments.
“Professor Skerritt has had many achievements over the course of his career including Implementing the Medicines and Medical Devices Review, digital transformation, the regulation of medicinal cannabis, the rapid registration of COVID vaccines and treatments and playing a leading role in international harmonisation of regulation.”, said The Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care in a press release issued in February the same year.
At this year’s ARCS 2023 Conference, ARCS Australia CEO Dr Shanny Dyer paid tribute to Professor Skerritt and his service to the Australian health industry. She led a tribute with fellow industry heads, Elizabeth de Somer, CEO, Medicines Australia, Anne Harris, Managing Director, Pfizer Australia & New Zealand, Deon Schoombie, CEO, Consumer Healthcare Products Australia, Ian Burgess, CEO, Medical Technology Association of Australia and Arthur Brandwood, President ARCS Australia.
About ARCS and its transformation in 2023
ARCS Australia is the association for people working on the development of therapeutics. The ARCS conference brings over 1500 people across the sector, in Australia, with international speakers coming this year. The conference runs over 3 days with 7 concurrent streams that cover all the areas that are involved in the development of therapeutics, including clinical research, regulatory affairs and pharmacovigilance.
The focus for ARCS at this year’s conference has been building competency frameworks in the areas that members work. As a significant step, ARCS is transforming into a professional body that both recognises and develops people into specific competencies that are required for the roles that those people are undertaking.
Dr Shanny Dyer states, “One of the key goals that ARCS is undertaking over this strategic period is to implement the professionalisation of our sector. Whilst we’ve been very clearly developing products that have safety, quality and efficacy, we now need to work on the quality of our staff, their ability to develop products and have a safe pair of hands and to work efficiently as well.”
-
Diary of a Paramedic in a primary health care clinic
Alecka Miles is a lecturer at Edith Cowan University and works as a paramedic in a multidisciplinary team at Dianella Family Medical Centre in Metropolitan Perth, Western Australia.
Community paramedic roles have a history in Australia, dating back to 2007 in New South Wales and followed by similar initiatives in South Australia and New Zealand. Alecka’s position emerged after she sought to evaluate how paramedics could integrate into general practice, ultimately leading to a job offer post-COVID lockdown in 2020. Her skills, particularly in cannulation, proved valuable as healthcare shifted towards primary care.
-
Pharmacist Prescribing Model gets further support from state health
A full scope pharmacist prescriber model allows pharmacists to independently prescribe medicines within their professional competence, without requiring prior doctor authorisation. It extends pharmacists’ role beyond dispensing to include assessment, diagnosis of minor and chronic conditions, initiation and modification of therapy, and ongoing patient monitoring. This model integrates pharmacists into primary care teams, aiming to improve timely access to treatment, reduce pressure on general practitioners, and enhance continuity of care. Pharmacists use their clinical knowledge, patient records, and collaborative pathways to ensure safe prescribing. The model emphasises training, regulation, and accountability to maintain high standards of patient safety.
-
Emerging researcher appointed to James Packer Chair in Mood Disorders at UNSW
The UNSW Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health is widely renowned as the pre-eminent psychiatry research department in the country and one of the leading university psychiatry research groups internationally. In 2023 it celebrated 60 Years of Psychiatry & Mental Health at UNSW Sydney.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Professor Kimberlie Dean, Head of the Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health at UNSW Sydney, about the recent appointment of mental health disorders expert and clinician researcher Dr Aswin Ratheesh to lead the James Packer Chair in Mood Disorders at UNSW Sydney.
