Executive Committee
Mr Warwick Plunkett
Chairman and Foundation President
Warwick Plunkett's commitment the Pharmacy Profession can be seen in his service to the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (NSW Branch) since 1975. His particular interest has revolved around education and professional involvement to secure pharmacy’s professional and commercial future. His major achievements include the development and introduction of the Pharmacy Self Care program and the Pharmacy Offshore Refresher Course for which he has acted as organising conference chairman for 30 years.
Professor Carol Armour BPharm(Hons) PhD, FPS
Director Pharmacy Practice Foundation to Feb 2008
Professor Carol Armour has worked in asthma research for over 20 years. She has also undertaken investigations into airway smooth muscle, inflammation, cytokines, corticosteroids, drug utilisation, antibiotics, diabetes care and cost effectiveness.
In addition to her role within the Pharmacy Practice Foundation, she is also a Professor of Pharmacy within the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Acting Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) of the University of Sydney.
Mr John Bell AM
Foundation Vice-President
John Bell has a community pharmacy practice in metropolitan Sydney from which he provides specialist pharmacy services to nursing homes, hostels and private hospitals. He is a Past President of Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Australian College of Pharmacy Practice. He has been awarded Fellowships of both the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. In 1993 he was appointed as a member of the Order of Australia for services to pharmacy. He has taken a particular interest in pharmacy public relations, and is a regular contributor on pharmaceutical issues on radio programs. He is a member of the Australian Medical Writers' Association.
Professor S I (Charlie) Benrimoj BPharm(Hons) PhD Bradford, MPS FFIP
Professor Charlie Benrimoj is the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Planning) and the Foundation Professor of Pharmacy Practice. He was Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney from 2000 to 2005. His research interests encompass the future of community pharmacy and the delivery of professional cognitive pharmaceutical services from community pharmacy current and emergent health services. These include the provision of drug information to consumers and other health care providers, clinical interventions, patient medication reviews, disease state management systems, participation in therapeutics decision systems, pharmacy and pharmacist only medications, change management in community pharmacy and international pharmacy practice. Specific research programs evaluate the pharmaco-epidemiological, clinical, pharmaco-economic, standards for delivery, and implementation aspects of the above services. Current research interests involve the clinical, economic and implementation aspects of cognitive pharmaceutical services from community pharmacy in current and emerging health care systems. Since 1991 he has received over 60 grants worth $7 million. He has published over 100 papers in refereed journals, produced 20 major research reports on cognitive services in Australia, and presented and co-authored 200 conference presentations and has been a keynote speaker in over 100 national and international conferences.
In addition to his role as a director of the Pharmacy Practice Foundation, Professor Benrimoj is currently the president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (New South Wales Branch), National Council Pharmaceutical Society of Australia 2005–present and the NSW Representative, and a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Transition Authority, 2004–present after acting as the National Treasurer, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, 2002–2003. He was the Australian Pharmacist of the year in 2000. He has been active at international level as the Chairman, Education Planning Committee, International Pharmaceutical Federation, 1998–2004. He was awarded the FIP Fellowship in 2005.
Dr Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich BPharm(Hons) PhD Syd
Dr Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich has successfully been conducting research into the area of increased pharmacists input into asthma management for the last seven years. She has focused on identifying simple yet effective interventions to be conducted by community pharmacists which target known problematic areas of asthma management.
As a result, she has made significant contributions to the development and evaluation of several novel models of asthma management for community pharmacists. These have included pharmacists undertaking respiratory device targeted interventions, health promotion, out-reach education programs, small group asthma education and disease state management services within community pharmacy.
She has shown that the implementation of these initiatives can lead to improved outcomes for people with asthma and that pharmacists can be successfully educated to deliver these new initiatives within the context of their practice, in a timely manner.
Mr John Bronger BPharm MBA (Exec), GCCM FAICD AACPA AFAIM FACPPM SAFIN FPS JP
Foundation Vice-President
John Bronger is the Director of ChemistWorks, a group of Australian community pharmacies dedicated to the provision of the highest level of pharmaceutical service to their customers. For 12 years, he served on the Sydney Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee advising the Minister of Health on policy. He is also a former National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and was awarded an Honorary Life Membership of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia in 2003.
In recognition of his career achievements he was awarded the Centenary Medal by the Commonwealth for services to Pharmacy and Taxation Reform in 2001, and the Occasional Medal of Excellence, Sydney University Pharmacy Foundation in 2000. In that same year, he was an MBA (Executive) in the Australian Graduate School of Management.
Mr Ross Brown AM RFD ED, Hon MPharm Syd, FPS FAICD
Ross Brown has a long record of pharmacy practice service to the community. In additional to owning a number of pharmacies, he has served on the Board of Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, been a Councillor of the then Pharmaceutical Society of NSW, and is a former National President of the Pharmacy Society of Australia. A driving force in the establishment of the Pharmacy Practice Foundation, he has been an active governor of the Foundation since its establishment in 1978.
In 1997, the University of Sydney recognised Ross Brown’s commitment to the University, the Foundation and the practice of pharmacy within the community, awarding him with a Master of Pharmacy (Honoris Causa).
Mr Andrew Gullotta OAM, PhC, MPS
Andrew Gullotta has owned and operated a community pharmacy in Sydney since 1964. He has an extensive involvement in academia, pharmacy organisations, community service and media. In addition to being on the Executive of the Pharmacy Practice Foundation, he has served as a Councillor of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia NSW Branch from 1990 to 2005 and was a Foundation Councillor of the Pharmacy Alumni Association. He was very active in the establishment of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney which was established in 2000.
Andrew has presented papers representing the Pharmacy Guild of Australia on "HIV and Intravenous Drug Use" at six International Public Health Issues Conferences.
In 2000 he was awarded a prestigious University of Sydney 2000 Alumni Award for achievement in Community Service and contribution to Pharmacy Practice. In 2006 he was made an Ambassador of the University of Sydney in recognition of his sterling service and dedication to the University of Sydney.
Mr Mike Hobbs
Mike Hobbs has worked with pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry for over 40 years starting his career with Boots the Chemist, in the UK, and then in quality control with BDH. After working in the horticultural chemicals industry, he joined Berk Pharmaceuticals in 1969. An international career in export management led him to work for a number of years in West East Africa and Asia. He was expatriated to Singapore in 1979 to help establish and run Revlon Health Care South East Asia.
In the 1980s he relocated to Australia where he held senior management position sin both RP Scherer and Ciba Geigy, where he resumed his pharmaceutical career, including further positions with Alphapharm and Hexal Australia.
Now managing Mike Hobbs and Associates, Mike also represents the Generic Medicines Industry Association (GMIA) as a committee member of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Pricing Authority. He also consults to GMIA and a growing portfolio of clients.
Mr Magdy Iskander BPharm, Diploma in Salesmanship, Marketing and Business Administration
Magdy Iskander is CEO of Arkopharma Australia, a global leader in the field of natural medicines. He is a Tutor and Marker for the Pharmacy GTCP at the University of Sydney. He worked for the last 26 years in the pharmaceutical industry, in Australia and internationally for companies such as MSD, Pharmacia, AMRAD, SIGMA.
Mr John Maronese BPharm
A Sydney-based pharmacist for over 30 years, John Maronese has extensive experience in pharmacy practice in a community setting. He currently owns and operates Mega Save Chemist, a new franchise model in community pharmacy. Additionally, he is the President of the Extended Hours Pharmacies Association and a Zone Leader the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (NSW Branch) and for many years a University of Sydney Pharmacy Alumni Committee member.
John Maronese’s commitment to the Pharmacy Practice Foundation extends beyond his many years of membership on the Executive Committee. He has also worked with a small team to bring the Business Undergraduate Mentor Program (BUMP) to fruition and is an active member of the Pharmacy Management Advisory Committee. John Maronese has also participated in University wide fundraising projects for restoration and development of University infrastructure and is currently member of Campaign Advisory Committee for the Faculty of Pharmacy building projects.
Professor Iqbal Ramzan DipPharm CIT NZ MSc PhD Syd
Director Pharmacy Practice Foundation from Feb 2008
Professor Iqbal Ramzan received his undergraduate pharmacy training in New Zealand and his postgraduate training from the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney, receiving his MSc and PhD degrees in Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics. Professor Ramzan then spent five years at the State University of New York at Buffalo in the Department of Pharmaceutics with Distinguished Professor Gerhard Levy where he was also a Research Assistant Professor. He was also Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Pittsburgh. Professor Ramzan returned to Sydney in 1989 where he has held positions as Lecturer and Senior Lecturer. In 2002 Professor Ramzan was promoted to Associate Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy at Sydney where he also held a conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Anaesthesia in the Faculty of Medicine. Professor Ramzan has authored/co-authored 108 publications. In 2000 Professor Ramzan was appointed an Associate Dean in the Faculty of Pharmacy with responsibility for Admissions and other administrative matters. Professor Ramzan was appointed Acting Dean in July 2005 and then Dean and Professor in 2006, a position he currently occupies. Professor Ramzan is a Fellow of the University of Sydney Senate and is also a registered pharmacist in NSW. Professor Ramzan is a member of the Pharmaceutical Subcommittee of the Australian Drug Evaluation Committee (ADEC), and is President Elect of the Asian Association of Schools of Pharmacy (AASP).
Mr Damian Smith BPharm, MPG JP
Damian Smith is a community pharmacist providing services in both metropolitan and rural pharmacies. He has maintained links with pharmacy education through employment of both undergraduate pharmacy students and new graduates. He is particularly interested in helping new pharmacists develop their retailing and business skills.
Damian's interest and expertise in these areas allows him to bring an understanding of current Pharmacy practice issues to the executive of the Pharmacy Practice Foundation. He remains committed to the promotion of pharmacy as a highly relevant and viable profession within Australia’s healthcare setting.
Mr Richard Vincent BBusAcc, CPA NPSA
Richard Vincent holds a Bachelor of Business Accountancy and is a Member of Certified Practising Accountants, Executive Member of National Pharmaceutical Services Association and is a Director of Clifford Hallam Healthcare.
Over the past 12 years, Richard has worked in the healthcare industry for Faulding and the Mayne group in key leaderhip positions covering retail pharmacy, hospitals and generics product supply. Richard was also a Director of Mayne’s Retail Advisory Board. In 2005, Richard joined API to lead its Pharmacy Division specifically focusing on retail support and wholesale solutions for community pharmacies across Australia. Richard is an active member of the Pharmacy Practice Foundation participating on the Executive Committee since 2006.
Professor Lesley White BPharm MCom MEd PhD
Professor Lesley White was appointed to the Faculty of Pharmacy in 2007 as the inaugural Johnson & Johnson – Pharmacy Practice Foundation Chair of Pharmacy Management at the University of Sydney. With a background in the areas of pharmacy, marketing management and education she is ideally placed to provide expert teaching and education in pharmacy management, as well as bringing strong business management skill to the executive team of the Pharmacy Practice Foundation.