Less than a month after its Second Reading during which Members of Parliament were unable to reach agreement on whether it should be passed, Parliament has passed the Therapeutic Products Bill (Bill).

The Bill will now go to the Governor-General for Royal assent, after which it will become an Act.

Although the Bill will soon pass into law, most of its provisions will not come into force until a later date. The Bill provides that all provisions must commence by 1 September 2026. Until then, the current Medicines Act and Regulations, as well as the Dietary Supplement Regulations, will remain in force. The transitional periods for current activities and existing products will start once the Act commences.

The new Act changes the regulation of medicines, medical devices and natural health products in New Zealand. By 1 September 2026, all necessary secondary legislation, including regulations and rules, will need to be in place and a new regulator established.

Amendments to the Bill

In the report from the Parliament’s Health Committee (Committee) released before the Bill had its Second Reading, it was announced that the Health Minister would introduce numerous Supplementary Order Papers to address some of the concerns raised by stakeholders and the public in the Bill. These include:

• the exemption of certain small-scale natural health product manufacturers;

• the removal of obligations on rongoā Māori;

• the strengthening of advertising regulations; and

• ensuring consistency with New Zealand’s international obligations in relation to innovative medicines.

It is expected that secondary legislation that is made will address these concerns, following public consultation.

Further information

Hansard from the Bill’s Third Reading, which can be found here, demonstrate strong opposition from National and ACT members.

For background, our article on the Committee’s report can be found here, and our previous article on the introduction of the Bill here.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the Bill, and what this might mean for you, please get in touch with one of our experts.