A brief introduction to the three Review Panel members, as well as the Messages from the Chair, Panel and Department of Health published throughout the stages of the Review.

Independent Review Panel

Professor Stephen King | Ms Jo Watson | Mr Bill Scott

Professor Stephen King – Industrial Economist and Chair of the Review Panel

Professor King is a Commissioner with the Productivity Commission, having commenced in this role from 1 July 2016. Professor King was recently Professor of Economics and former Dean at Monash University. Prior to joining Monash University, Professor King was a Member of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Before that, he was a Professor of Economics at the University of Melbourne and a Professor of Management (Economics) at the Melbourne Business School.

Professor King’s main areas of expertise are in competition economics, regulation and industrial organisation. While at the ACCC, he chaired the Mergers Review Committee and was closely involved with a wide range of merger decisions. He was involved in the full range of activities undertaken by the ACCC. These included both on-going functions – such as authorisation decisions, regulatory determinations and enforcement actions under the Competition and Consumer Act – and ad hoc activities undertaken by the ACCC. For example, Professor King was one of the three Commissioners who undertook the Part VIIA inquiries into the price of unleaded petrol in Australia and into the Australian grocery industry. He was also one of the two Commissioners presiding over the Services Sydney-Sydney Water Access Dispute. This was the first arbitration completed under Part IIIA of the Competition and Consumer Act.

From 2003 to 2014, Professor King was a Lay Member of the High Court of New Zealand and in 2007 assisted the Court in the appeal by Woolworths and Foodstuffs against a decision of the New Zealand Commerce Commission. He is also a part-time Member of the Economic Regulation Authority of Western Australia, and of the National Competition Council.

Ms Jo Watson and Mr Bill Scott are the other Panel Members.

Ms Jo Watson – Consumer Representative

Ms Watson has been engaged in the areas of health policy development, access to medicines, and patient engagement with health technology assessments for the past 20 years. She is the Deputy Chair of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF), and has been a Director on the CHF Board since 2012.

Ms Watson has been a health consumer advocate and community representative for many years, including her role as the Executive Director of the National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPWHA) from 1998 to 2014.

Ms Watson has been the consumer nominee of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Pricing Authority from 2002 to 2012, and commenced as the consumer nominee to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) in 2013. She is currently Deputy Chair of the PBAC.

Ms Watson represented CHF at the Minister's Roundtable at the beginning of the 6th Community Pharmacy Agreement negotiations in 2015, and continued in this role for the ongoing bilateral discussions between CHF and the Department of Health for that period.

Ms Watson is currently also Chair of the Health Technology Assessment Consumer Consultative Committee.

Mr Bill Scott – Pharmacy Representative

Mr Scott has been a Committee Member of the Pharmacy Guild’s Victorian Branch from 1986 to 2017.

Mr Scott is a pharmacist with a quarter share in three pharmacies. Although having a reduced role in the day to day management of these pharmacies, Mr Scott still remains very active in the industry and maintains up to date clinical knowledge.

Mr Scott has a unique mix of experience as a former Director of Sigma Pharmaceuticals Limited and as Chairman of the Negotiating Committee for the Guild on the 4th and 5th Community Pharmacy Agreements.

Mr Scott is a current Director of Fred IT Pty Ltd and was also a Director of Guildlink until 2014.

Mr Scott is highly respected in pharmacy, by other health professionals and in the wider health sector. Mr Scott has wider business experience through ten years on the Council of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, including one year on the Board.

Mr Scott also has a long history in community organisations. His previous community roles include being Whittlesea Councillor for five years, founder of the Whittlesea Community Health Centre, Board Member and Chairman of Bundoora Aged Care Centre, Chairman of Promote Whittlesea, Chairman of the Whittlesea Severance Association, Chairman of Mill Park Traders Association, Board Member of the Victorian Swimming Association Trading Company and representative on many school organisations.

Messages from the Chair

Message from the Chair – July 2017 (PDF 121 KB) - Message from the Chair – July 2017 (Word 3634 KB)
Message from the Chair – 22 June 2017 (PDF 111 KB) - Message from the Chair – 22 June 2017 (Word 342 KB)
Message from the Panel - 16 December 2016 (PDF 116 KB) - Message from the Panel - 16 December 2016 (Word 28 KB)
Message from the Chair - December 2016 (PDF 143 KB) - Message from the Chair - December 2016 (Word 5292 KB)
Message from the Chair - October 2016 (PDF 159 KB) - Message from the Chair - October 2016 (Word 1395 KB)
Message from the Chair - Mid-September 2016 (PDF 474 KB) - Message from the Chair - Mid-September 2016 (Word 4265 KB)
Message from the Chair – September 2016 (PDF 228 KB) - Message from the Chair – September 2016 (Word 3280 KB)
Message from the Chair – August 2016 (PDF 636 KB) - Message from the Chair – August 2016 (Word 383 KB)
Message from the Chair – July 2016 (PDF 130 KB) - Message from the Chair – July 2016 (Word 730 KB)
Message from the Chair – March 2016 (PDF 148 KB) - Message from the Chair – March 2016 (Word 287 KB)

Public Statement from the Department of Health

Message from the Department of Health – 22 December 2016 (PDF 236 KB)
Message from the Department of Health – 22 December 2016 (Word 141 KB)

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