Meet Owain George, Manager Strategy, Policy and Practice

Owain George was previously the Council’s Registrar. He has recently moved back to a policy role with the Council, leading work on the impact of government policy and sector changes, monitoring and analysing data to identify new trends and potential regulatory responses when needed. His team will also lead building understanding of the new standards before they are implemented in April 2024.

Owain qualified as a pharmacist in the United Kingdom working in various roles, including as a prescriber, before joining the Council. “I am driven to see pharmacists become more directly involved with therapeutics with the right training and support, establish trust with the patient and health practitioners alike, leading to improved health outcomes. Council must reassure the public that pharmacists are not only competent and fit to practise for their current role, but also take on new roles safely. Whilst many of these new roles can be done safely without direct Council intervention, we will monitor changes, work with the health sector to establish safe implementation, and only, if necessary, develop new regulatory tools,” he said.

Meet Christine Anderson, Registrar

Christine Anderson has been appointed as the new Registrar, joining the Pharmacy Council on 31 October 2022. Christine is a lawyer who has practiced across a range of areas but has had a particular focus on professional regulation over the last five years. Christine joins the Council from Te Ao Rangahau Engineering New Zealand where she managed the complaints and disciplinary process for engineers.

Christine and her team are responsible for receiving and acting on information about the competence, conduct and health of pharmacists, notifying the relevant authorities where there is a risk of harm to the public and considering cases where a pharmacist may be unable to perform the functions required to practice. “The protection of the health and safety of the public is essential for maintaining confidence in the profession”.

Meet Natalia Taurima-Hinton, Senior Advisor Māori and Health Equity

Ko Maungaharuru te Maunga
Ko Tangitū te Moana
Kei Te Matau-a-Māui (Hawkes Bay) to Takiwā
Ko Marangatūhetaua (Ngāti Tū), Ngāti Whakaari, Ngāi Tauira, Ngāti Kurumōkihi, Ngāi Te Ruruku ki Tangoio, Ngāi Tahu ngā Hapu
Ko Tangoio te Marae
Ko Rangitere toku Papa
Ko Irihāpeti toku Mama
Ko Michael taku Aroha
Ko Natalia Taurima-Hinton toku ingoa

Natalia joined Council in June 2022. She is leading the development and operationalisation of Te Pou Whakamana Kaimatū o Aotearoa, Council’s Māori and health equity programme. Natalia is developing the organisation’s capability programme, which is starting with fundamentals that include Te Reo Māori, Te Ao Māori worldview, understanding racism, kawa whakaruruhau, Te Tiriti, and the importance of achieving health equity. Council had started considering what being a Tiriti-dynamic organisation looks like with Natalia adding to that narrative.

Natalia has worked in the criminal justice sector with victims and offenders of family and sexual violence, has been a restorative justice facilitator, and still works with rangatahi going through the youth court.