The move will allow trade show exhibitors at medical events to showcase new products and research that are yet to be approved by the local regulatory body, Metsafe.
The New Zealand Minister for Regulation, David Seymour, and Health Minister Simeon Brown, said outdated regulations that hinder trained medical professionals from learning about new medicines through trade show advertising are out of step with other countries’ laws and put New Zealanders at a disadvantage.
“New Zealand’s prohibition on advertising medicines yet to be consented by Medsafe is a barrier to New Zealand’s ability to host medical conferences and trade shows,” Mr Seymour said.
“The opportunity cost of New Zealand missing out on these is huge.”
Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) chief executive, Lisa Hopkins, said BEIA had been advocating for a change to Section 20 of the Medicines Act 1981 for many years and this announcement means medical conference organisers from around the world can now plan ahead with confidence.
“By finally removing this barrier, New Zealand can now proactively approach those medical associations who in the past have taken New Zealand off their list because of this prohibition,” she said.
“BEIA has not been alone in fighting for this change. We are grateful for the tremendous support from Medicines NZ, who worked closely with BEIA on this issue. This helped convince the government to recognise the value of medical conferences and is a great example of multiple associations working together for a mutually beneficial outcome.”
BEIA has also collaborated with Tourism New Zealand and MBIE on the Business Events Boost and with Immigration NZ on the visa process for delegates attending conferences in New Zealand.
“Conferences provide access to knowledge and innovation, offering insights that can be directly applied to benefit society,” Ms Hopkins said.
“This is just one of the many ways the business events sector delivers value beyond economic and tourism contributions.”