Dr McGovern qualified in Medicine in 1995 from Trinity College Dublin and has worked as a GP specialising in the treatment of substance misuse since the implementation of the methadone treatment protocol in 1998. He is Medical Director of the Priority Medical Clinic, a private addiction treatment programme located in South County Dublin. He is Clinical Lead for the HSE Addiction Services in Louth Meath & The Midlands. He was appointed to the Health Committee of the Irish Medical Council in June 2025. Dr McGovern is also a member of the Irish Chapter of the New Nicotine Alliance. He is one of the first members of the International Doctors for Healthy Drug Policies (IDHDP),an international group of medical addiction experts aiming to promote sensible drug policies. He is an ardent advocate of ready access to safer nicotine products as an alternative to smoking.