133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
20 April 2026
David Robinson
By email: [FYI request #34400 email]
Ref:
H2026081056
Tēnā koe David
Partial transfer of your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Ministry of
Health - Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) on 6 April 2026. You requested:
“- Provide information on Ministry, and Health New Zealand's guidance to organisations to
ensure that these medicines were known not to be counterfeit, expired, perished, nor have
any other issues with them.
- Provide information on how many medicines were imported where the original package
writing wasn't in English, which languages they were in, and what steps Ministry took to
ensure the provenance of the medicines.
- What briefings did Ministry and Health New Zealand, receive about the supply chain
issue, and that there were potential issues with the supply chain.
- For the large numbers of suspicious and unapproved medicines used across New
Zealand, outline the steps that Ministry and Health New Zealand took to ensure that
health managers were aware of this issue, and that clinicians knew about their obligation
to obtain consent and to provide open disclosure.
- Provide information on the number of incidents submitted to health incident
managements systems, in both Health New Zealand hospitals, air and road ambulance,
primary care and private hospitals, and what steps were taken to communicate about this
with health providers.
- Describe the number of deaths that were reported in association with suspicious or
unapproved medicines in New Zealand, since 2020, and where possible, provide an
estimate of how many deaths, and SAC1-4 incidents, may have been associated with
these, and what steps have been taken to investigate these.
- Where deaths occurred in association with suspicious or unapproved medicines during
this time period, what was the interval between these being reported to Ministry and
Health New Zealand, and being reported to the coroner. What was the interval in them
being reported to the coroner. What was the interval in them being reported to police.
- Where the deaths were already known to be unnatural (such as suicides or homicides),
and suspicious or unapproved medicines were used, what was the average interval
between being notified about these concerns, and notifying the coroner, police, courts,
prosecutors, and defendants?
- Where intermediaries are known to have facilitated the importing and distribution of
suspicious or unknown medicines in New Zealand, what steps were taken to investigate
them and what actions were taken to prevent further harm, particularly in the context of
the current global supply shock.
- Did any particular organisations use suspicious or unapproved medicines more than any
others, and if so, has Ministry or Health New Zealand, taken any steps to ascertain what
the reasons for this were, and to prevent any further harm?”
Your request asks for information which is held by Pharmac, the Ministry of Justice and Health
New Zealand. For this reason, I have decided to transfer the below parts of your request to
these agencies under section 14(b)(i) of the Act. You can expect a response from these
agencies in due course.
“- Provide information on how many medicines were imported where the original package
writing wasn't in English, which languages they were in, and what steps Ministry took to
ensure the provenance of the medicines.”
This part of your request is being transferred to Pharmac. Their contact email is
[email address].
“- Describe the number of deaths that were reported in association with suspicious or
unapproved medicines in New Zealand, since 2020, and where possible, provide an
estimate of how many deaths, and SAC1-4 incidents, may have been associated with
these, and what steps have been taken to investigate these.
- Where deaths occurred in association with suspicious or unapproved medicines during
this time period, what was the interval between these being reported to Ministry and
Health New Zealand, and being reported to the coroner. What was the interval in them
being reported to the coroner. What was the interval in them being reported to police.
- Where the deaths were already known to be unnatural (such as suicides or homicides),
and suspicious or unapproved medicines were used, what was the average interval
between being notified about these concerns, and notifying the coroner, police, courts,
prosecutors, and defendants?”
These parts of your request are being transferred to the Ministry of Justice. Their contact email
is
[email address].
“- For the large numbers of suspicious and unapproved medicines used across New
Zealand, outline the steps that Ministry and Health New Zealand took to ensure that
health managers were aware of this issue, and that clinicians knew about their obligation
to obtain consent and to provide open disclosure.”
This part of your request is being transferred to Health New Zealand. Their contact email is
[email address].
Page 2 of 5
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please feel
free to contact the OIA Services Team on: [email address].
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
Alex Fuller
Acting Manager, OIA Services
Government and Executive Services | Te Pou Whakatere Kāwanatanga
Page 3 of 5
COPY OF OIA REQUEST
From: David Robins
on <[FYI request #34400 email]>;
Received: Mon Apr 06 2026 21:24:18 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
To: OIA Requests
<[email address]>; OIA
<[email address]>;
Subject: Of icial Information request - Suspicious Medicine Usage
Dear Ministry of Health,
Between 2020 and present day, New Zealand's medicines supply has been seriously impacted
by a range of events. These include changing global markets and COVID. Most recently, the
fuel supply shock threatens both the manufacture of medicines as well as their transport.
Given the widespread dependence on unapproved medicines since this time:
- Provide information on Ministry, and Health New Zealand's guidance to organisations to
ensure that these medicines were known not to be counterfeit, expired, perished, nor have
any other issues with them.
- Provide information on how many medicines were imported where the original package
writing wasn't in English, which languages they were in, and what steps Ministry took to
ensure the provenance of the medicines.
- What briefings did Ministry and Health New Zealand, receive about the supply chain
issue, and that there were potential issues with the supply chain.
- For the large numbers of suspicious and unapproved medicines used across New
Zealand, outline the steps that Ministry and Health New Zealand took to ensure that
health managers were aware of this issue, and that clinicians knew about their obligation
to obtain consent and to provide open disclosure.
- Provide information on the number of incidents submit ed to health incident
managements systems, in both Health New Zealand hospitals, air and road ambulance,
primary care and private hospitals, and what steps were taken to communicate about this
with health providers.
- Describe the number of deaths that were reported in association with suspicious or
unapproved medicines in New Zealand, since 2020, and where possible, provide an
estimate of how many deaths, and SAC1-4 incidents, may have been associated with
these, and what steps have been taken to investigate these.
- Where deaths occurred in association with suspicious or unapproved medicines during
this time period, what was the interval between these being reported to Ministry and
Health New Zealand, and being reported to the coroner. What was the interval in them
being reported to the coroner. What was the interval in them being reported to police.
- Where the deaths were already known to be unnatural (such as suicides or homicides),
and suspicious or unapproved medicines were used, what was the average interval
between being notified about these concerns, and notifying the coroner, police, courts,
prosecutors, and defendants?
- Where intermediaries are known to have facilitated the importing and distribution of
suspicious or unknown medicines in New Zealand, what steps were taken to investigate
them and what actions were taken to prevent further harm, particularly in the context of
the current global supply shock.
Page 4 of 5
- Did any particular organisations use suspicious or unapproved medicines more than any
others, and if so, has Ministry or Health New Zealand, taken any steps to ascertain what
the reasons for this were, and to prevent any further harm?
Yours faithfully,
David Robinson
Page 5 of 5
