New Zealand has announced a significant reform to its medicines laws on April 29, 2025, eliminating a key obstacle that previously hindered the country from hosting international medical conferences.
Effective soon, tradeshow exhibitors will be permitted to showcase new pharmaceutical products and research to medical practitioners within New Zealand, even if those medicines have not yet received Medsafe consent.
The joint announcement from David Seymour, minister for regulation, Simeon Brown, minister of health, and tourism and hospitality minister Louise Upston highlighted that the outdated regulations restricting the advertising of unapproved medicines at medical tradeshows were out of step with international standards and disadvantaged New Zealand.
“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 tradeshows. The opportunity cost of New Zealand missing out on these is huge,” Seymour said.
Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) has been advocating for a change to Section 20 of the Medicines Act 1981 for many years and BEIA chief executive Lisa Hopkins said today’s announcement means medical conference organisers from around the world can now plan ahead with confidence.
“The global business events industry is worth US$2.1 trillion, and the medical and pharmaceutical sector is the second largest user of conferences to connect, educate, and inform professionals.
“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 noted.
