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.”
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Australian Healthcare Week 2019: Pitch Fest Finalist Lumin
Startup company Lumin was a Pitch Fest Finalist at last week’s Australian Healthcare Week Expo in Sydney. The Lumin platform is used in aged care where loneliness and isolation can be a trigger for stroke and dementia. Lumin helps the connection to care providers, family members and duress monitoring services in a device that has been designed for those with dementia, vision impairment or find complex devices difficult to use.
Managing Director and Co-Founder Paul Wilson spoke at the Mepacs booth with Anne Dao from Australian Health Journal about the market they target and the design of the user experience, including the remote servicing and monitoring. The integration allows the monitoring team in the call centre see and hear the personal raising the alarm. Mepacs is a provider of personal duress alarms and have teamed up with Lumin.
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Harnessing the skillset and availability of the nation’s Exercise Physiologists and Scientists
Katie Lyndon MBA, BAppSci, ESSAF, FACHSM, CHE, AEP, AES, GAICD, CHIA, is an allied health professional and executive leader with nearly two decades of experience spanning executive leadership, delivery of strategic programs across the health system and clinical care.
As CEO of Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA), Katie brings a unique blend of frontline experience and strategic vision to advance the profession and advocate for evidence-based exercise in preventive health and chronic disease management. Her long-standing commitment to ESSA includes serving as Board Vice President, Policy and Advocacy Manager, Standards Council member and ESSA Fellow.
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Mid-Career Nurse Leadership Program
How does a nurse navigate senior management to affect change within their organisation? It’s a gap that Australian College of Nursing is helping to fill with it’s Mid-Career Nurse Leadership Program that gives established nursing professional access to prominent leaders in nursing.
