IFPMA-PhAMA Event on Ethical Promotion of Healthcare Products

Russell Williams

President, Rx&D Canada / IFPMA CCN Chair

Russell Williams is a passionate advocate for innovation in health care and in economic development. Since joining Rx&D in March 2004, Mr. Williams has promoted policies that improve patient outcomes by expanding patient choice and access to new medicines and vaccines. He works tirelessly to ensure that Canada is a world leader in attracting biopharmaceutical investments, which are key components of the knowledge-based economy.
Under Mr. Williams‟ leadership, the association‟s Code of Ethical Practices has been significantly enhanced to ensure that all member companies adhere to the highest standards of ethics. He has participated actively in numerous provincial working groups and task forces aimed at improving the partnership between industry, governments and stakeholders.
Prior to joining Rx&D, Mr. Williams had a successful career in provincial politics and community service. For fifteen years, he represented the Montreal electoral district of Nelligan in the National Assembly of Quebec. During his career as Liberal member of the National Assembly, he led numerous public policy debates on important and complex issues, such as the role of government in research and development (R&D), compensation for victims of contaminated blood, linguistic policy, access to services for the disabled, and pre-hospital emergency services. He is well known for his dedication and perseverance as an advocate for individual rights and government services focused on the needs of its citizens. He continues active volunteer involvement in palliative care.

Dato’ Eisah A. Rahman

Senior Director Pharmaceutical Services Ministry of Health Malaysia

Dato‟ Eisah A. Rahman graduated as a pharmacist from the Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia in 1977. She later obtained a postgraduate degree, M. Sc in Pharmaceutical Analysis from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom in 1986. She has served at the Malaysian Ministry of Health as a pharmacist since 1979 and has held several key positions throughout her 30 over years of service with the ministry.
She first started her career as a pharmacist at the National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau (NPCB) and had been appointed as Head of Pharmaceutical Microbiology Laboratory, Head of GMP and Licensing Section, Deputy Director of Centre for Product Registration and later in 2006 became Director of National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau. In 2007, she moved on to become Director of Pharmacy Enforcement and in 2008 was promoted to become Senior Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Ministry of Health where she takes charge of the entire pharmacy program in Malaysia.
Throughout her career, she has contributed tremendously to the overall development of the pharmacy service and the pharmaceutical sector. Besides her involvements in various national high level committees, she has also participated in several healthcare related conferences and held advisory roles in the international arena particularly in the area pertaining to regulations and pharmaceutical quality assurance.
She has a vast experience in the area of regulatory control and a long involvement in ASEAN harmonization initiatives for pharmaceuticals (medical devices, cosmetics, traditional medicines and health supplements), and since 2008 she holds the Chair of ASEAN Consultative Committee for Standards and Quality (ACCSQ) Pharmaceutical Product Working Group. She is well recognized for her lead role in the successful accession of Malaysia to the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme in 2002. Currently, she is also a member of the WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Drug Policies and Management.

Koh Kar Chai

Deputy Secretary Malaysian Medical Association

Koh Kah Chai obtained a Medical Bachelor and a Bachelor of Science of the University of Mangalore in India in 1991. He subsequently obtained a diploma on sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS from Prince of Songkla University in Thailand in 1993 and a diploma practical dermatology from the college of medicine of the University of Wales in 1994.
Mr Chai started his medical career at Ipoh General Hospital in Perak, Malaysia in 1990 as a houseman (a junior doctor), he subsequently became a medical officer in the Bahagia Ulu Kinta hospital in Perak in 1991 and a primary care doctor in the policlinic of Kepong Baru hospital in 1994; a job he has held since that time. In the years 2004-2006 Mr Chai obtained several certificates in plastic surgery, among others for an advanced course on mesotherapy awarded by the International Medi-Aesthetics Centre in London.
Since 2008 Mr Chai has been a very active member of the Malaysian Medical Association on the national level, being a member of many committees, among others a member of the Health and Human Rights committee and the National Health Policy committee. He is at the moment deputy secretary of the Malaysian Medical Association. From 2009 to 2013 he was a member of the Malaysian AIDS council, from 2011 to 2013 an appointed member of the Drug Control Authority of the National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau of the Malaysian Ministry of Health and in 2011/2012 an appointed alternative board member of the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health. In the same period he still managed to find time to be a Medical Advisor for Welford Manufacturing (medical devices; 2008-2012), to involve himself in the organization of several health campaigns and to be a co-chairman or committee member for the organization of several symposia.

Yew Wei Tarng

Managing Director Eisai (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Presently the Managing Director of Eisai (M) Sdn. Bhd, Yew Wei Tarng is also the newly appointed President of the Pharmaceutical Association of Malaysia (PhAMA).
Mr Yew began his journey within PhAMA as the Chairman of the Human Resource Committee from 2006 – 2008. He then went on to become the Chairman of Regulatory Affairs Committee with the association and continues to hold this position to date. In 2006, Mr Yew became Vice President of PhAMA, a position he has held until he became the President of the association in September 2012.
Besides PhAMA, Mr Yew has also been active in other associations such as the ASEAN Pharmaceutical Research Industry Association (APRIA), where he was chairman of the association for a year.
Mr Yew holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy with a minor in Management from „Universiti Sains‟ in Malaysia followed by a traineeship at the National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau and the Kuala Lumpur Hospital. He then went on to participate in the Duke Program for Manager Development at Duke University in North Carolina and he studied as well at the Kellog School of Management in Chicago.

Heather Simmonds

Director, ABPI/PMCPA, UK

Ms Heather Simmonds is the Director of the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA). Ms Simmonds chairs the Code of Practice Panel, which considers complaints submitted under the Code in the first instance, and is responsible for the overall running of the organization. Ms Simmonds also works with IFPMA and EFPIA in relation to their codes of practice.
Ms Simmonds has a degree in pharmacology and joined the ABPI in 1984. She has been working full time on the Code of Practice since 1989 and has been Director of the PMCPA since 1997.

Tamara Music

Manager, Influenza Vaccines & Code Compliance IFPMA

Ms Tamara Music joined IFPMA in 2007 and leads the Influenza Vaccines Supply (IVS) International Task Force as well as the Transparency and Ethics initiatives which include the IFPMA Code of Practice and the Code Compliance Network (CCN). Previously, Ms Music has also worked on global health policy topics related to healthcare systems and market access. Ms Music received her B.A. in Political Science from University of California, Berkeley, her Masters in International Affairs from the Graduate Institute in Geneva, and a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy from the University of Lausanne, School of Business (HEC).