He studied medicine at the Bute Medical School, University of St Andrews graduating with a MB ChB in 1970.
From 1975 to 1980 he was a research clinical pharmacologist and a medical advisor in the pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Edinburgh.
On 13 May 2005 it was announced that he would be created a life peer, and on 22 June 2005 the peerage was gazetted as Baron Moonie, of Bennochy in Fife.
In the newspaper sting, "Moonie said he would contact Healey and offered to identify people who could put down an amendment."
It found that "on the standard of proof that we have set, we do not find that Lord Moonie expressed a clear willingness to breach the Code by promoting amendments on behalf of lobbyists in return for payment."