Gavin Steel has an in-depth understanding of the pharmaceutical sector in South Africa and internationally and considerable experience in regulation, health systems strengthening, clinical trials, making quality medicines more affordable and identifying emerging health technologies to improve health systems and health outcomes.
He is highly regarded in SA’s healthcare sector as an experienced technical specialist in key areas such as evidence-based medicine, medicines regulation, medicines safety, clinical pharmacokinetics, pharmacoeconomics, adherence to long term therapies and human resources for health.
Before joining Eurolab, he was Chief Director in SA’s National Department of Health when he introduced innovative systems to prepare SA for a universal health access program. He ran the largest medicines procurement agency in Africa, a role he could not have fulfilled without a comprehensive knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), health technology assessment and pharmaceutical sector macroeconomics. His extensive supply chain experience comes from running SA’s national tender system for medicines (and other health commodities) and coordinating the national public health workforce to align it with international best practices.
Steel’s career spans all aspects of healthcare regulation – pricing regulations, ethics, health technology assessments and more, and is the only South African to have served on the full spectrum of regulatory bodies, mostly in leadership positions.
He has also served on and chaired several committees. These include the Pricing Committee, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) (previously the Medical Control Council), the Pharmacy Council, the Clinical Trials Committee, the National Central Drug Committee and various other technical committees. Steel chaired the HIV vaccine regulatory process and served as a World Health Organisation advisor.
He was instrumental in establishing the package of care – medicines and treatment protocols – for oncology in SA.
Steel first joined Eurolab in 2018 as General Manager of its Aseptic Services Unit, SA’s first SAHPRA-approved centralised sterile admixing facility which improves access to quality-assured chemotherapy. In 2021, he was promoted to Medical and Scientific Affairs Director at Eurolab, a role which spans all the divisions of the company.
Steel holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree, a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and a Master of Science in Clinical Pharmacy.