Yong initially trained as an anthropologist and has worked with national and global NGOs and as a consumer advocate on medicines and health policy for over 35 years. As the leader of the Consumers Health Forum medicines program she designed the strategy and initiated the debate with all stakeholders on whether Australia should develop a national medicines policy following an analysis of the Australian system against the WHO model drug policy in 1988. Other seminal work included a critical study of older peoples’ use, understanding and needs in relation to medicines. She was an inaugural member of the committee that established Australia’s Quality Use of Medicines Policy. Internationally, she was active in Health Action International network. As co-chair of the Medicines Labelling Group, she advocated for countries and pharmaceutical industry to develop and make available usable and performance-based medicines information for consumers. Currently, she is the Chair of the Communication Research Institute of Australia, and an overseer of the International Rescue Committee (NYC). She is also a consultant.
