The Therapeutic Products Bill
The Therapeutic Products Bill was introduced to Parliament on 30 November 2022. The Bill will replace the significantly outdated Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985 and most of the Medicines Act 1981. The Bill is available here.
The Bill will likely have its first reading next week, and the Select Committee will call for submissions soon, with a relatively short period of consultation.
The Bill provides for:
- Establishing a new regulator who will have a range of enforcement powers.
- Introducing a market authorisation regime for therapeutic products imported or supplied in, or exported from, Aotearoa New Zealand
- Regulating health benefit claims of natural health products including herbal remedies, vitamins and other supplements
- More robust regulation for medical devices - medical devices are defined broadly to include oral health devices such as dentures, braces etc.
- A prohibition on inducing or giving benefits to health practitioners, which includes oral health practitioners, in return for them giving favourable advice about particular products to patients.
- More robust offences and penalties with graduated criminal offences, strict liability offences, infringement offences and fines.
The Council will be making submissions on the Bill, and practitioners may also wish to have their say.