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Our board

The board of the VPA leads the organisation and sets the strategic direction. Current VPA board member details are included on this page.

Our board

The board of the VPA leads the organisation and sets the strategic direction. Current VPA board member details are included on this page.

The Authority consists of members appointed by the Governor in Council on the nomination of the Minister. Three must be registered pharmacists, one must be an Australian lawyer and one must be a person who is not a registered pharmacist.

The Authority is supported by a Registrar (Chief Executive Officer), Chief Financial Officer, Senior Pharmacist and other staff.

The responsible Minister is the Minister for Health, The Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas MP.

From 01 July 2022 the members are as follows:

Regina Cowie BPharm (Hons) BSSc (Exercise & Sports Science) AACPA

(Pharmacist Member)
Regina Cowie has a Bachelor of Sports Science (Exercise Physiologist) and is a qualified accredited pharmacist with over 20 years’ experience in community (metro, rural and remote), industry and corporate pharmacy. Regina developed the first intern training program for the Northern Territory and Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. Regina has a passion for innovation, health care service delivery and the use of technology to provide equality of health care. Regina is heavily involved in the electronic prescription roll out for community and hospitals, electronic medication charts and increasing the uptake of the active script list. Regina is currently on the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Academic Advisory Board and Alcon Advisory Board. Regina is the Partnerships Manager across eHealth for the Fred IT Group.
Memberships: Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacy

Elizabeth Kennedy BA LLB (Hons) LLM (Melb) Grad Dip Health & Med Law GAICD

(Lawyer Member)
Elizabeth Kennedy has had a 40-year legal career specialising in health law. She is Adjunct Professor, Monash University Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine and a board member of Western Health and the Australian Psychological Society She has held several not-for-profit board appointments throughout her career, including Director Monash Medical Centre, Alzheimer’s Victoria, Family Planning Victoria, Royal Women’s Hospital Foundation Ltd and the Victorian Cytology Service.
Memberships: Law Institute of Victoria, The Medico –Legal Society of Victoria, Association of Corporate Counsel Australia, Australian Institute of Company Directors

Brendon Moar BPharm MPS

(Pharmacist Member)
Pharmacist member Brendon Moar is a community pharmacist in East Gippsland. Brendon has been a community pharmacist in East Gippsland for 15 years and has experience as a pharmacy owner and operator. He has great interest and experience in aged care, integrated healthcare, indigenous and public health, and health literacy in regional communities. He is currently a board member of Bairnsdale Regional Health Service, and member of the East Gippsland Primary Health Care Network’s Clinical Advisory Committee. He has a keen interest in risk management within the health care setting, and pharmacy regulation, having previously been a member of the Pharmacy Board of Australia’s Notifications Committee.
Memberships: Pharmaceutical Society of Australia

Divesh Sanghvi BPharm

(Pharmacist Member)
Divesh Sanghvi is a second-generation pharmacist and pharmacy owner. Divesh has a fundamental interest in community safety and how best community pharmacy can deliver this whilst maintaining optimal health outcomes. Throughout his career Divesh has enjoyed working collaboratively with numerous leaders in the pharmacy sector, including wholesalers, banner groups, hospitals, manufacturers and other key stakeholders, for the betterment of the community. Divesh is passionate about the role of technology in innovating the profession whilst maintaining pharmacy integrity and patient safety as non-negotiables.
Memberships: Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Pharmacy Guild of Australia

Marie Ritchie GradCertBA, HonMemPDL

(Pharmaceutical Defence Limited) (Community Member)
Marie has worked in health professional organisations since 1994; she was CEO at Pharmaceutical Defence Limited and Australian Pharmaceutical Publishing Co from 2009 – 2016. Her primary skill set combines governance, compliance and risk. She is passionate about protecting the public and improving health care. She is currently a director of Kooweerup Regional Health Service (KRHS) and Deputy Chair of The Dolphin Research Institute. Marie is a member of the KRHS Quality, Safety and Clinical Governance Committee and the Remuneration Committee.
Memberships: Pharmaceutical Defence Limited (Honorary Member)

David McConville BPharm MPS AACPA MAICD

(Pharmacist Member)
Authority Chairperson and pharmacist member David McConville graduated from the Victorian College of Pharmacy in 1990 and is a partner in a community pharmacy in Balwyn North. Specialty areas of pharmacy of interest to David include Pharmacotherapy, Pain management and Aged Care. David is a member of the Clinical Advisory Committee for the Area 4 Pharmacotherapy Network and was a foundation member of the Victorian Clinical Council, established to advise and provide guidance to the State government and health agencies to provide safer, better care to all Victorians.
Memberships: Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Pharmacy Guild of Australia, AICD and AACP
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Victorian Pharmacy Authority acknowledges Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pays respect to their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging.