NSW Therapeutic Advisory Group was initially established in 1988. In 1994, NSW TAG was incorporated as a not-for-profit independent association. The association receives its core funding from NSW Health. NSW TAG provides six-monthly reports of its activities to the Clinical Excellence Commission, who act as the NSW Health managers of the core funding contract.

NSW TAG’s members are clinical pharmacologists, pharmacists and other clinicians from NSW public hospitals and affiliated academic units. Affiliate membership is also available to interstate colleagues and private hospitals. The membership is organised into two broad groups: TAG General members who represent the larger public teaching hospitals in NSW and TAGNet members who represent smaller metropolitan, regional and remote NSW public hospitals.  Meetings for TAG General and TAGNet members are held bi-monthly.

The Management Board has seven members and is elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. It meets four times a year. It is responsible for governing NSW TAG and ensuring it meets its functions and responsibilities. There is a Finance Sub-Committee, which is chaired by the NSW TAG Treasurer. The Sub-Committee meets quarterly and provides the Management Board with assistance, advice and oversight with respect to NSW TAG’s financial reporting, risk and control and external audit functions.

In order to achieve its objectives, NSW TAG has a number of Working Committees and Discussion Groups including:

• NSW TAG Editorial Committee
• NSW TAG High Costs Medicines Working Group
• medSMART Support Group

NSW TAG projects or program initiatives are informed by expert advisory committees with oversight managed by the relevant NSW TAG Working Committees.

NSW TAG is a member of the Council of Australian Therapeutic Advisory Groups (CATAG). NSW TAG also manages the business operations of CATAG.

NSW TAG is based in Darlinghurst, Sydney and is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Executive Officer, Dr Sasha Bennett.

Our Committees

Membership of NSW TAG Management Board

Professor Sarah Hilmer (Chair), Chair Royal North Shore and Ryde Hospitals Drug and Therapeutics Committee; Head of Department Clinical Pharmacology and Senior Staff Specialist Aged Care Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney; Conjoint Professor of Geriatric Pharmacology, Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney.

Ms Lorraine Koller OAM (Vice Chair), Deputy Director of Pharmacy, Westmead Hospital, NSW.

Mr Russell Levy (Treasurer), Director of Pharmacy, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, NSW.

Associate Professor Winston Liauw, Chief Medical Information Officer Health ICT & Director Cancer Services Stream South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, St George Hospital, NSW; Clinical Lead NSW Cancer Community of Practice – COVID19 Response; Conjoint Associate Professor UNSW; Board of Directors NPS MedicineWise.

Associate Professor Bridin Murnion, Head of Department Drug & Alcohol Services Central Coast Local Health District, Wyong Hospital, NSW; Conjoint Associate Professor, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle.

Ms Paula Doherty, Pharmacy Service Manager, John Hunter Hospital, NSW.

Membership of the NSW TAG Finance Committee

Professor Sarah Hilmer (Chair)

Mr Rusell Levy (Treasurer)

Dr Sasha Bennett, Executive Officer, NSW TAG.

Ms Sharrn Nish, Accounts manager, NSW TAG.

TAG General Membership

Professor Sarah Hilmer (Chair)

DTC Chairs and Secretaries (or their delegates) of principal referral, paediatric specialist and tertiary referral hospitals in NSW.

TAGNet (Network) Membership

Mr John Carroll (Chair), District Chief Pharmacist, MLHD Pharmacy Services.

DTC Chairs and Secretaries (or their delegates) of major and district regional/rural hospitals in NSW.

Membership of NSW TAG Editorial Committee

Professor Asad (Sid) Patanwala (Chair), Chair of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Sydney School of Pharmacy and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Dr Sasha Bennett, Executive Officer, NSW TAG.

A/Professor Madlen Gazarian, Clinical Pharmacologist and Paediatric Rheumatologist, NSW.

Dr Jonathan Brett, Staff Specialist, Clinical Pharmacology and Addiction Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital, NSW.

Ms Sarah Dinh, QUM Project Officer, NSW TAG.

Ms Sharna Glover, QUM Project Officer, NSW TAG.

Ms Elizabeth Anderson, Westmead Medicines Information Service, Westmead Hospital, NSW.

Ms Christine Coorey, Senior Clinical Pharmacist, Westmead Hospital, NSW.

Ms Michelle Jenkins, Senior Pharmacist, Paediatrics, John Hunter Children’s Hospital, NSW.

Ms Felicity Prior, Director, Hunter Drug Information Services, NSW.

Ms Anne Steffensen, Deputy Director of Pharmacy, Prince of Wales Hospital, NSW.

Professor Jan-Willem Alffenaar, Joint Chair of Clinical Pharmacy, Westmead Hospital and University of Sydney, NSW.

NSW TAG medSMART support group

• Visit the webpage here

Page last updated 25 October 2021