UKZN lecturer and doctoral graduate, Dr Andrew Gray, says his doctoral research offers the first comprehensive analysis of South Africa’s national drug policy development and implementation.
Gray, a senior lecturer in Pharmacology at UKZN, graduated with a PhD in Pharmacy with a study titled: National Medicines Policies – Learning from the South African Experience, which was supervised by Professor Julia Botha.
His research revealed that South Africa’s process for developing a national medicines policy in 1994 was rushed and lacked a sufficient evidence base. He argues that this policy should have undergone periodic revisions to incorporate emerging evidence and foster continuous stakeholder engagement.
Gray recommends adopting an interactive leadership model and a commitment to an evidence-informed policy process to address contradictions and missing elements in the current policy. He says his findings hold significant relevance for South Africa’s ongoing health sector reforms, including the development of the National Health Insurance.
Said Gray: ‘I am proud to have accomplished this final degree and hope to contribute to the health policy space for many years.’
His research aims to inform future policy revisions and guide health sector reforms in South Africa.
Born in Worcester and raised in Queenstown (now eKomani) in the Eastern Cape, Gray was inspired to pursue Pharmacy through his early encounters with the Mager and March community pharmacy. His passion for policy analysis grew over his years of teaching and his deep involvement in health law and policy development.
Although balancing full-time employment while completing his PhD was a challenge, Gray found support from his supervisor, as well as colleagues in South Africa and abroad such as Professor Fatima Suleman, Professor Hans Hogerzeil, Professor Veronika Wirtz and Dr Wilbert Bannenberg.
He remains an avid reader of history, finding balance between his academic pursuits and personal interests.
With this milestone behind him, Gray is eager to continue shaping the health policy landscape, contributing to evidence-based reforms that can improve healthcare access and equity in South Africa.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Sethu Dlamini