Request for Information on Pseudoephedrine Policy and Risk Assessment

Sarah Burns made this Official Information request to David Seymour

Currently waiting for a response from David Seymour, they must respond promptly and normally no later than (details and exceptions).

From: Sarah Burns

Dear Hon. David Seymour,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I respectfully request the following information related to the reintroduction of pseudoephedrine-based medications to pharmacy shelves in New Zealand, covering the period from January 2022 to the present:
1. All official advice, briefings, correspondence, and risk assessments you received or generated concerning the reintroduction of pseudoephedrine. This includes material from:
• NZ Police
• Ministry of Health / Te Whatu Ora
• Medsafe
• Ministry of Justice
• Customs NZ
• Your ministerial office and/or ACT Party policy team
2. Any analysis or modelling regarding:
• The risk of pseudoephedrine being diverted into illicit methamphetamine production
• The potential impact of this policy on methamphetamine-related harm in New Zealand
3. Details of any monitoring or evaluation frameworks that were implemented to assess the real-world impact of this policy, including changes in:
• Methamphetamine use (e.g. wastewater data)
• Domestic production or importation trends
• Law enforcement activity related to pseudoephedrine or methamphetamine
4. A copy of any advice or statements from NZ Police—as referenced in your recent comments—supporting the position that the reintroduction of pseudoephedrine has not contributed to increased methamphetamine harm.

Please provide the information in electronic format. If any part of this request is too broad, I am willing to discuss refining its scope.

I look forward to your response within the 20 working days required under the Act.

Sincerely
Sarah Burns

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From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour

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From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour


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Dear Sarah

 

Thank you for your email in which you submitted an Official Information
Act request as follows:

 

 1. All official advice, briefings, correspondence, and risk assessments
you received or generated concerning the reintroduction of
pseudoephedrine. This includes material from:

                •              NZ Police

                •              Ministry of Health / Te Whatu Ora

                •              Medsafe

                •              Ministry of Justice

                •              Customs NZ

                •              Your ministerial office and/or ACT Party
policy team

                2.            Any analysis or modelling regarding:

                •              The risk of pseudoephedrine being diverted
into illicit methamphetamine production

                •              The potential impact of this policy on
methamphetamine-related harm in New Zealand

                3.            Details of any monitoring or evaluation
frameworks that were implemented to assess the real-world impact of this
policy, including changes in:

                •              Methamphetamine use (e.g. wastewater data)

                •              Domestic production or importation trends

                •              Law enforcement activity related to
pseudoephedrine or methamphetamine

                4.            A copy of any advice or statements from NZ
Police—as referenced in your recent comments—supporting the position that
the reintroduction of pseudoephedrine has not contributed to increased
methamphetamine harm.

 

Question 1

We received your request on Monday 19 May 2025.  We will endeavour to
respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than
Tuesday 17 June 2025, being 20 working days after the day your request was
received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

 

The response date takes into account King's Birthday (2 June 2025).

 

Questions 2, 3, 4

We have determined that the information requested is more closely
connected with the portfolio responsibilities of the Minister of Police.
As such, we have part-transferred your request to Hon Mark Mitchell,
Minister of Police in accordance with section 14(b)(ii) of the Act.

You may expect a response from the Minister of Police directly concerning
questions 2,3 and 4 of your request.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

 

Office of Hon David Seymour

[1]A pink and Deputy Prime Minister (from 31 May 2025)
white emblem
with two women Minister for Regulation
holding flags Associate Minister of Education
Description
automatically Associate Minister of Justice
generated
Associate Minister of Finance

Associate Minister of Health

 

7.6 Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

 

DSOIA512

 

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