133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
18 January 2023
Chris McCashin
By email:
[FYI request #21301 email]
Ref:
H2022017897
Tēnā koe Chris
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to Manatū Hauora
(the Ministry of Health) on 30 November 2022 for. Please find a response to each part of your
request below:
Please provide from 2010 to today’s date the following
- total number of Medsafe approved drugs / medicine / therapeutics which have been
removed from circulation
- name of drug / treatment
- date of removal
- reason for removal to include reporting / recommendations
- signatories to removal
- memos associated with the removal
- side effects / complaints from the use of medicine which required the investigation and
subsequent removal
- reports to MACC or CARM ghat triggered investigation / removal
- death signal for the removal of an approved medicine in New Zealand if there is one -
CDC in the USA have one of these
On 15 and 22 December 2022, you were contacted by Manatū Hauora to clarify and refine this
part of your request. We queried if you were happy to clarify what you mean by “removed from
circulation” and if you are you meaning drugs, medicine, and therapeutics that Medsafe have
revoked consent for.
On 6 January 2023 you responded:
“Yes all medications that Medsafe have revoked consent for.”
Manatū Hauora has decided to extend the period of time available to respond to this part of your
request under sections 15A(1)(a) and 15A(1)(b) of the Act as the request necessitates a search
through a large quantity of information and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably
interfere with the operations of Manatū Hauora, and consultations necessary to make a decision
on the request are such that a proper response to the request cannot reasonably be made
within the original time limit.
You can now expect a response to your request on, or before, 24 February 2022.
According to a search of the Medsafe database from 2010 to 2022, a total of 18 products, by
trade name, have had their consent revoked by Medsafe. This comprises of 39 individual
products (as a given trade name product may be presented in several strengths). Revocation is
pursuant to section 35(1)(a) of the Medicines Act 1981, and records can be searched in the
New Zealand Gazette at:
gazette.govt.nz/.
Please see below for a list of the 18 identified medicines that Medsafe have revoked consent
for. Please notify us with one of the medicines from this list that you are interested in we can
provide you with the information you have requested.
List of products (trade names) that Medsafe have revoked consent for:
• Capadex, Capsule
• Paradex, Tablet
• Reductil, Capsule
• Reduxade, Capsule
• Meridia, Capsule
• Paraderm, Topical cream
• Arrow - Tramadol SR
• m-Enalapril, Tablet
• m-Ranitidine, Film coated tablet
• m-Captopril, Tablet
• Luveris, Solution for injection
• Venlafaxine XR, Modified release capsule
• Ropaccord, Film coated tablet
• Nicobrevin, Liquid filled capsule
• Pramipexole Hydrochloride
• Pioglitazone Hydrochloride, Tablet
• Cafergot, Tablet
• Antiseptic Soothing Cream, Topical cream
We look forward to hearing from you about the medicine you are interested in from the provided
list.
Additionally can you also provide all of the funds Medsafe has received from Pfizer or
associated entities annually 2010 – 2022
Information on the fees Medsafe has received from Pfizer is available here:
www.medsafe.govt.nz/regulatory/fees.asp.
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, na
Jan Torres
Manager, OIA Services
Government and Executive Services | Te Pou Whakatere Kāwanatanga