Dr. Harvey graduated in medicine from the University of Melbourne and initially specialised in medical microbiology and infectious diseases. An interest in antibiotic resistance led to a study of antibiotic prescribing and then the forces at work on the pen that writes the ‘script'. This eventually resulted in a move from The Royal Melbourne Hospital to the School of Public Health at La Trobe University where he focused on medicinal drug policy.
Dr. Harvey was a member of the expert group that drafted the World Health Organization “Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion”. He has also been a member of the Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Health and Rational use of Medicines (PHARM) Committee that formulated the Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) pillar of Australian medicines policy.
Dr. Harvey has worked on these issues in SE Asia under a variety of auspices: WHO, AusAID and especially Consumers International (Health Action International Asia Pacific). He was the Australian project director of a $4.0 million, 4 year AusAID program of assistance to the Philippines National Drug Policy and has assisted HAIAP in Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Laos, Vietnam, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines. He has also worked as a consultant for the Australian Health Insurance Commission (and USAID) on medicinal drug policy reform in Croatia and Jordan.
Dr. Harvey’s interests in information technology and the optimisation of medicinal drug use have converged in the area of E-Health, including health informatics policy and computerised decision support, especially electronic medication management.
Dr. Harvey currently holds the position of Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Public Health, La Trobe University. He had been awarded life membership of Choice (the Australia Consumer’s Association) for services to the consumer movement and is a member of their Policy Advisory Group. He is also Chair of the Governing Council of Health Action International, Asia Pacific (HAIAP).
