TAIWANESE HEALTH AND RESEARCH DELEGATION VISIT PARATUS CLINICAL TRIAL SITE IN CANBERRA Visit fosters greater collaboration and experience of clinical trial execution in public and private health settings best practice
With
Matt Clacy,
Founder & Chief Commercial Officer
Paratus Clinical
Dr Amber Leah,
Principal Investigator & Medical Director
Paratus Clinical
Professor Chun-Jen Huang,
Dean of Office of Human Research
Taipei Medical University & Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital
Taiwan
Professor Pin-Kuei Fu,
Director, Clinical Research Center
Taichung Veterans General Hospital
Taiwan
AUSTRALIAN HEALTH JOURNAL SEGMENT
Filmed in Canberra | September 2025
In late August 2025, a Taiwanese delegation comprising government officials from the Taiwanese FDA, various governmental groups, and physicians and researchers from across Taiwan, visited Paratus Clinical’s trial site in Canberra. Their objective was to explore both the differences and similarities between the clinical research ecosystems of Taiwan and Australia.
Throughout the discussions, the delegation learned about the processes involved in initiating research, the regulatory hurdles that must be navigated, and the practicalities of conducting clinical trials in both public and private sectors.
Paratus Clinical specialises in a range of clinical trials, from Phase I to Phase III, including vaccine studies and treatments across primary care areas such as asthma, diabetes, and cardiometabolic health, as well as outpatient specialties like dermatology and oncology.
The conversations also addressed the distinctions between inpatient and outpatient care, focusing on startup timelines, regulatory requirements, and patient recruitment strategies. Notably, the delegation found a reassuring number of similarities in clinical practice between the two countries.
Matt Clacy, recognised the potential benefit of fostering greater collaboration between public and private sectors in Australia, a practice that is more prevalent in Taiwan and advantageous for patient care and the healthcare system overall.
Source: Written by AUDIENCED
-
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.
-
Evolution of the pharmacy tribe
The past 18 months has shown the strength of Australian pharmacies in ensuring accessibility, credibility and maintaining rapport with the community to administer COVID-19 vaccinations, handle electronic prescriptions and looking to play an integrated role in aged care.
-
The role of genomic screening in transforming public health
Dr Jane Tiller is a lawyer, genetic counsellor and public health researcher. She is Ethical, Legal & Social Adviser in Public Health Genomics at Monash University, and a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant holder. Jane is passionate about the use of genomics to prevent disease, and in delivering equitable access to preventive genetic information at the population level. She is co-lead of DNA Screen, a world-first study piloting the offer of preventive DNA screening to the Australian adult population. DNA Screen has tested over 10,000 young people for genetic high risk of medically actionable conditions such as cancer and heart disease, finding about 2% of participants had genetic high risk. Jane is leading efforts to secure Commonwealth Government funding to expand the DNA Screen program, with the eventual goal of the development of a public health population screening program for disease prevention based on high genetic risk.
