About NPAC
Membership | Terms of Reference
Membership
The following people were appointed to the New Prescribers Advisory Committee (NPAC) by the Minister of Health:
Associate Professor Margaret Horsburgh
Associate Professor Margaret Horsburgh is the Chair of the NPAC and is appointed to NPAC as an educator. She has a particular interest in nurse prescribing and is keen to be involved in any post implementation work on the costs and benefits of extending prescribing rights to nurses. Associate Professor Horsburgh has a Doctorate of Education, and has been involved with auditing clinical services in hospitals. She has written numerous articles and books on quality issues in relation to education and health services.
Professor Keith Grimwood
Professor Keith Grimwood is appointed to NPAC as a medical practitioner. He is a professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the Wellington School of Medicine, an infectious disease specialist and a paediatrician. Professor Grimwood's has expertise and experience as a paediatrician, medical researcher, educator, and infectious disease specialist.
Dr Dennis Thorburn
Dr Dennis Thorburn is appointed to NPAC as a dental practitioner and represents the NZ Dental Association. He is a hospital-based oral medicine specialist from Christchurch. Dr Thorburn has published widely on his special interests, and has been an advisor to the NZ Dental Association on issues related to infection control, medicines, and laboratory services.
Ms Marion Hunter
Ms Marion Hunter is appointed to NPAC as a midwife. She Has a MA (1st class Hons) and is a senior lecturer at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the Auckland University of Technology. Ms Hunter was nominated by the New Zealand College of Midwives and she has a particular interest in prescribing issues.
Associate Professor Patrick Ball
Dr Patrick Ball is appointed to NPAC as a pharmacist. He is a clinical pharmacist and an associate professor at the University of Auckland. He was a member of the Ministry of Health's 1998 aged care nurse prescribing working group. Dr Ball has published a number of articles and books on pharmaceutical aspects of specialised nutritional support and critical care medicine in paediatrics.
Ms Patricia Cromptom
Ms Patricia Cromptom is appointed to NPAC as a rural nurse nominated by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. She is a Practice Nurse Manager of the Dargaville Medical Centre. Ms Crompton had extensively represented Practice Nursing and rural nurses on various national committees including the Rural Expert Advisory Group to the Ministry of Health on implementing the Primary Health Care strategy in rural NZ. She is presently involved in the planning of evolving primary health care nursing services in Kaipara under a PHO umbrella and is studying for a Masters in Nursing.
Dr Denise Dignam
Dr Denise Dignam is appointed to NPAC as an educator. She is the Head of the School of Health Sciences at UNITEC. She was a member of the Ministry's 1998 child family health nurse prescribing working group, and the 1997 working group which examined the safety and quality issues that would need to be addressed before limited prescribing rights could be extended to nurses. She was also a member of the New Zealand Nursing Council education working group for nurses prescribing. Dr Dignam's area of clinical specialty is child and family nursing with a particular primary health care focus.
Dr Mark Adams
Dr Mark Adams is appointed to NPAC as a representative of the Medical Council. He has been an elected member of the Medical Council since 1996. He has also been a member of the Medical Council's Professional Standards Committee and Health Committee. He is a past president of the NZRDA. Dr Adams is presently an Anaesthetic Registrar in the Wellington training scheme currently based in Hastings.
Dr John Edwards
Dr John Edwards is appointed to NPAC as a representative of the Dental Council. He is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon based in Auckland. He is a past member of the Dental Council and a past president of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
Professor John Shaw
Professor John Shaw is appointed to NPAC as a representative of the Pharmaceutical Society. He is the Head of the School of Pharmacy at Auckland University. Professor Shaw's teaching experience is multidisciplinary and he currently teaches pharmacology and therapeutics to pharmacy, nursing and medical students at Auckland University. His research interests are in medicines utilisation and the evaluation of novel pharmacy services. In 1994, the Ministry of Health commissioned Professor Shaw to prepare a discussion paper on the quality and safety issues that would need to be addressed before prescribing rights could be extended to other registered health professionals. He has a particular interest and knowledge of issues in relation to the extension of prescribing rights to other health professions.
Associate Professor Judy Kilpatrick
Associate Professor Judy Kilpatrick is appointed to NPAC as a representative of the Nursing Council. She was the Chairperson of the Nursing Council from April 1996 to April 2002. As the Chairperson of the Nursing Council she was closely involved in the policy development and implementation issues surrounding the education and competencies for nurse prescribers. Associate Professor Kilpatrick is the Head of the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Auckland University, which offers a Nursing Council approved masters in Nursing for the preparation of Nurse Practitioners.
Mr Alister Brown
Mr Alister Brown is appointed to NPAC as a representative from the pharmaceutical industry. He is a member of the Researched Medicines Industry Board of Directors and Managing Director of Merck Sharp and Dohme (New Zealand) Ltd.
Ms Beryl Anderson
Ms Beryl Anderson is appointed to NPAC as a consumer representative. She is Library Services Manager at Statistics New Zealand in Wellington. Ms Anderson has some interest and experience with committees dealing with health issues and has served on the Rotorua Social Services Committee, and was previously the Chair of the Community Health Committee for the Bay of Plenty Area Health Board. Ms Anderson is the National Secretary of the National Council of Women of New Zealand.
Ms Sue Driver
Ms Sue Driver is appointed to NPAC as a consumer representative. She is currently the Practice Manager of Morrison Kent in Wellington. She is a former Wellington City and Wellington Regional Councillor. Ms Driver has worked predominantly in the health, social and community services sectors in managerial and consultancy roles with a special emphasis on decision making, consultative and deliberative processes. She has also been a Director and Trustee on a number of organisations including the Wellington Regional Diabetes Trust, the Wellington Community Trust and the New Zealand Lotteries Commission.
Mr Peter Glensor
Mr Peter Glensor is appointed to NPAC as a consumer representative. He is the National Co-ordinator of Health Care Aotearoa which is a national network of 48 not-for-profit community controlled primary health providers. Mr Glensor was previously a councillor with the Hutt City Council, is deputy Chair of the Hutt Valley District Health Board and has had extensive involvement with community organisations.
Dr Stewart Jessamine
Dr Stewart Jessamine, Principal Technical Specialist, Medsafe, is appointed to NPAC as the Ministry of Health's representative. Dr Jessamine has extensive experience as the Ministry's representative on several expert advisory committees established under the Medicines Act 1981 examining the safety of medicines. He is a general practitioner by training and has a Masters in public health.
Dr Shane Reti
Dr Reti is a medical practitioner working in general practice in Northland and is appointed to NPAC as a Mäori medical practitioner. Dr Reti has established and operates the longest running marae based health clinic in the upper North Island. He is also a member of Te Ora - the Mäori Medical Practitioners Association.