New TGA Head Welcomes Emerging Science and Therapies to Australia

In mid-2023, Professor Tony Lawler succeeded Professor John Skerrit as Deputy Secretary, Health Products Regulation Group (HPRG), Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, leaving his position of Chief Medical Officer of the State of Tasmania, Australia.

Tony’s responsibilities include the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the Office of Drug Control, the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, and the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme.

Professor Lawler is a specialist emergency physician, specialist medical administrator, and public service leader. He has delivered front-line emergency care, emergency medicine leadership, hospital-based medical administration, and system-wide clinical and quality governance. He has been deeply involved and committed to professional engagement and leadership through roles with the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (President), the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (Board member), and the Australian Medical Association (Branch President and Federal Councillor). His experience in the application of regulatory and standard-based frameworks includes regulatory oversight of private health service establishments, accreditation of specialist training organizations with the Australian Medical Council, and membership of the Board of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. He has been active in jurisdictional representation on broad policy initiatives, including the Council of the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Medical Workforce Reform Advisory Committee, and the Jurisdictional Advisory Committee of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).

His career has been characterized by his enthusiastic leadership and support for a solid, stable, innovative policy, regulatory, and cultural environment to support high-quality healthcare that is delivered by empowered clinicians and other healthcare workers so that the health and well-being needs of Australia are met.

DIA had an oppurtunity to interview Tony - Check it out below!