John Lynch, MSc, MPSI Health Products Regulatory Authority, Ireland

John is a pharmacist. Between 1980 and 1987 he worked in product development and quality roles with a manufacturer of medicines. In 1987 he joined the National Drugs Advisory Board (NDAB), which was then responsible for the authorisation of medicines for human and veterinary use, as a GMP inspector.

In 1996, he became Director of Inspection when the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) succeeded the NDAB. The job title later changed to the Director of Compliance. In 2014, the IMB became the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

Compliance functions include inspection, audit and licensing activities across human and veterinary medicines, good clinical practice and pharmacovigiliance, medical devices, blood, tissues & cells and organs for transplantation. Also included are sampling and analysis of medicines, quality defects and recalls, export certification, controlled drugs licensing, unlicensed medicines, cosmetics and enforcement of legislation.

John has previously represented the HPRA on the GMP inspection working groups at the European Medicines Agency and European Commission. He has also been a member of the Committee of Officials of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) and is the current alternate.