133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T +64 4 496 2000
W www.medsafe.govt.nz
1 November 2023
Tracy Livingston
Email:
[FYI request #21566 email]
Ref:
H2023032129
Tēnā koe Tracy
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), which was
transferred from Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) to Manatū Hauora (the Ministry of Health)
on 3 October 2023. You requested:
“You say the information does not exist, but I have the CARM iatrogenesis report from 2020
titled "Fatal Cases reported to CARM from 1st January to 30th December 2020". I suspect I
have been asking the wrong question, as you probably do have the information I require. I
would be grateful if you could provide me with the death reports linked to pharmaceutical
drugs including vaccinations for years ending 2021 and 2022. MOH sent me the 2020
report in August 2021, so previously it was possible to get the CARM information. This is
the reference number - H202106580 - so you can see the information I am requesting for
the years 2021, 2022.”
The information you have requested is attached to this letter as Document 1. This is released to
you with some information withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Act, to protect the privacy of
natural persons, including deceased persons. Where information is withheld under section 9 of
the Act, I have considered the countervailing public interest in releasing information and consider
that it does not outweigh the need to withhold at this time.
Accompanying the information is a statement from the Director of the New Zealand
Pharmacovigilance Centre at the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM) that outlines
important caveats that must be considered when interpreting the data. It is important to note that
while anyone – doctors, nurses, pharmacists, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies,
or a member of the public – can report an adverse reaction to CARM, reporting is voluntary.
There is more information about adverse reaction reporting at the following link:
https://nzphvc.otago.ac.nz/reporting/.
As stated in the report, if there is more than one suspected medicine, the listing will appear more
than once. Please note, we have identified some errors in the report. There are also some
COVID-19 reports, which have already been included to the safety reports published on the
Medsafe website.
Please note, some of the reports have death listed as the reaction. However, it is important to
note that the medicine was not necessarily the cause of death.
I trust this information fulfils your request. 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.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Manatū Hauora website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-
official-information-act-requests. Nāku noa, nā
Chris James
Group Manager
Medsafe
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