Published: 7 March 2019

Publications

In memoriam – Stewart Jessamine

Prescriber Update 40(1): 2–3
March 2019

Dr Stewart Jessamine suddenly passed away on 7 February 2019.

In honour of his memory and the contribution he made to public health in New Zealand, we include the following tributes from Medsafe and the three medicines expert advisory committees.

Medsafe

It is with great sadness that we write about the passing of Dr Stewart Jessamine.

Stewart joined the Ministry of Health in 1993 in the Therapeutics section. He remained in medicines regulation when Medsafe launched in 1998. Stewart started as a Senior Medical Advisor before progressing to Principal Technical Specialist and then Group Manager of Medsafe in 2008. He moved on at the end of 2014 to undertake the role of acting Director of Public Health and Deputy Director General in the Ministry of Health.

During his time with Medsafe, Stewart was instrumental in leading a number of high profile projects including the world leading regulation of xenotransplantation, improving consumer access to medicines and consumer information, and driving transparency in work Medsafe did and how decisions were made. In more recent times he was also the driving force behind the development of International Health Terminology Standards.

Stewart was an incredibly compassionate leader, always happy to answer questions from staff and members of the public, and had a passion for staff professional development and progression. Even after Stewart moved on to more public health focussed roles within the Ministry, he remained very accessible to Medsafe for advice and knowledge.

Stewart was a very effective communicator, which saw him speak to the media on a wide range of subjects as spokesperson for both Medsafe and the wider Ministry of Health. He had a unique ability to tailor his messages to his audience in a calm and reassuring manner.

His passing is a great loss for both the Medsafe group and all who interacted with him over the years.

Medicines Classification Committee (MCC)

The MCC is deeply saddened to hear about the sudden passing of Stewart Jessamine. Stewart had been a member of the MCC since 1997 and Chair for 20 years. The leadership, knowledge and strategic perspective that Stewart brought to the role greatly benefitted the recommendations made by the MCC. Stewart’s chairmanship was conducted with great poise and has contributed to the MCC’s reputation as a global leader in reclassification. In this role, Stewart has been a champion for safe consumer access to medicines. Stewart will be deeply missed by the members of the MCC, past and present.

Medicines Assessment Advisory Committee (MAAC)

The MAAC is saddened to hear of Stewart Jessamine’s passing. During Stewart’s time at Medsafe he made a significant contribution to the pre-market clinical assessment of medicines. The MAAC found Stewart’s can-do attitude and risk assessment ability very constructive in resolving regulatory problems. His passing will be a loss for public health in New Zealand.

Medicines Adverse Reaction Committee (MARC)

It was with great sadness that the members of the MARC heard of the passing of Stewart Jessamine. Stewart was well known to the MARC and was a stalwart supporter of our work and for pharmacovigilance in New Zealand. He will be greatly missed, both for his engaging and enthusiastic personality, and also his amazing institutional knowledge. This is a great loss to New Zealand.

Stewart set the direction for pharmacovigilance in New Zealand in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was instrumental in fashioning the contracts and service deliverables for the Centre for Adverse Reaction Monitoring and the New Zealand Pharmacovigilance Centre, which still apply today. He was amazingly competent and knowledgeable in his role and beyond in the big picture of the Ministry and its interconnections. It was always a pleasure to engage with Stewart collegially for his sharp mind and insights that were often profound.

Members of the MARC also remember Stewart in his clinical roles, as a general practitioner in his early days in New Zealand, and in his interactions outside of Medsafe. He was always jovial and looking to the future. He had such a breadth of perspective that always added another layer to the conversation.

A loss to the sector and certainly to all who knew him well!

Kua hinga te tōtara o Te Waonui a Tāne – moe mai rā e te Rangatira – moe mai rā.

The totara has fallen in the great forest of Tāne – rest peacefully, the esteemed chief, rest peacefully.