133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T +64 4 496 2000
W www.medsafe.govt.nz
2 July 2026
Nigel Gray
By email: [FYI request #34864 email]
Ref:
H2026083819
Tēnā koe Nigel
Response to 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 5 June 2026. Each part of your request is responded to
in turn:
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information relating to the
meaning, origin, and governance basis of the name “Medsafe – New Zealand Medicines
and Medical Devices Safety Authority.”
This request is made in light of Medsafe’s recent statement that it “does not use the terms
‘safe’, ‘effective’, or ‘safe and effective’, and instead uses ‘acceptably safe’ or ‘benefits
outweigh the risks’.”
This raises significant questions about the meaning and accuracy of the term “Safety
Authority” in Medsafe’s own name.
1. Origin and intended meaning of the name “Medsafe”
Please provide all documents, correspondence, Cabinet papers, branding decisions,
internal discussions, or policy material that relate to:
the origin of the name “Medsafe”
the decision to include the word “safe” in the name
the intended meaning of “safe” at the time the name was adopted
any definitions, criteria, or conceptual frameworks associated with the term “Safety
Authority”
I have identified 3 documents within scope of your request. All documents are itemised in
Appendix 1 and copies of the documents are enclosed. Where information is withheld under
section 9 of the Act, I have considered the countervailing public interest in release in making this
decision and consider that it does not outweigh the need to withhold at this time.
No documents have been identified that define the intended meaning of the word “
safe” at the
time the name was adopted, or that establishes a formal conceptual framework for the term
“
Safety Authority”. Therefore, this part of your request is refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act,
as the information requested is not held by the Ministry and there are no grounds for believing
this is connected more closely with the functions of another agency subject to the Act.
2. Internal interpretation of “Safety Authority”
Please provide all documents, guidance, internal communications, or policy material that
describe:
how Medsafe internal y interprets the term “Safety Authority”
how Medsafe defines or operationalises “safety” in relation to its statutory functions
any internal discussion about whether the term “Safety Authority” implies the use of the
word “safe”
any internal discussion about whether the term “Safety Authority” is accurate given
Medsafe’s stated avoidance of the word “safe”
There are no documents regarding the internal interpretation of “
safety authority.” Therefore, this
part of your request is refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act.
3. Alignment between Medsafe’s name and its stated terminology
Please provide all documents, emails, or internal discussions that address:
the relationship between the term “safe” in Medsafe’s name and Medsafe’s stated position
that it does not use the word “safe”
any analysis of whether the name “Medsafe” may be misleading, ambiguous, or
inconsistent with Medsafe’s terminology (“acceptably safe”, “benefits outweigh the risks”)
any consideration of whether the name should be updated, clarified, or reviewed
any riskcommunication or public-trust analysis relating to this naming inconsistency
There are no documents regarding the alignment between Medsafe’s name and its stated
terminology. Therefore, this part of your request is refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act.
4. Public‑
facing implications of the name “Medsafe”
Please provide any documents, risk assessments, communication advice, or internal
analysis that relate to:
how the public is expected to interpret the term “Safety Authority”
whether Medsafe considers the name to imply a guarantee, threshold, or definition of
“safety”
whether Medsafe has ever assessed the risk of public misunderstanding arising from the
name
any advice to Ministers or other agencies about the meaning or implications of the name
“Medsafe”
There are no documents regarding any public-facing implications of the name “
Medsafe,” so this
part of your request is refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act.
5. Records of cross‑
agency discussion about Medsafe’s name
Please provide any documents, emails, or discussions between Medsafe and:
Health NZ
Ministry of Health
EPA
Pharmac
any other agency
that relate to the meaning, accuracy, or implications of the name “Medsafe”.
Page 2 of 4
There was no cross-agency discussion before, or during, the adoption and launching of
Medsafe’s name. Therefore, this part of your request is also refused under section 18(g)(i) of the
Act.
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.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-official-
information-act-requests. Nāku noa, nā
Chris James
Group Manager
Medsafe
Page 3 of 4
Appendix 1: List of documents for release
#
Date
Document details
Decision on release
1
11 June 1998
Internal Memo: Approval for
Released in full.
Medsafe branding
2
13 July 1998
Health Report: Medsafe
Some information withheld
branding for therapeutics
under section 9(2)(a) of the
business unit
Act, to protect the privacy of
natural persons.
3
14 August 1998
Medsafe letter
Page 4 of 4
