Common Sense Solution To Benefit New Zealand’s Medical Workforce, International Events Sector And The Economy

Today’s announcement of an update to New Zealand regulations to allow the innovative biopharmaceutical industry the ability to provide financial support via tradeshows at international medical conferences held in the country is a very positive outcome with many benefits. This is not only from the perspective of medical education and scientific exchange for New Zealand’s healthcare workforce and medical researchers, but also as regards the additional economic benefit from revenue generated from hosting international conferences, educational events and tradeshows here in New Zealand.

“In the past, concern about the potential to commit a breach of legislation, which prohibited the advertising of medicines that are unapproved, had a chilling effect on innovative biopharmaceutical companies’ willingness to support and participate in international scientific and medical events hosted in New Zealand. We believe what is proposed by the Government is a common-sense solution to what has been a regulatory barrier that has created many issues within New Zealand for a range of stakeholders.” Says Dr Graeme Jarvis, CEO of Medicines New Zealand.

Internationally, it is common practice for trade shows or exhibitions to be run in conjunction with medical conferences. These trade shows provide financial support to the conferences, which is critical for overall financial viability. The tradeshows also provide an additional attraction for conference attendees with new medical treatments and technologies being profiled and new scientific information being made available to attendees. Overseas this is possible by making it clear to conference attendees that the medicine profiled is not approved and available in the country hosting the event.

New Zealand has stricter rules compared to other countries. These rules not only prohibit provision of any information relating to unapproved medicines, but also the potential availability of medicines in the future such as at scientific conferences because to do so was considered be a breach of the Medicines Act (1981). This is regardless of the content of the information or the audience it is provided to.1

“One big impact of this regulatory barrier was that any attendees at medical conferences hosted in New Zealand have missed out on easy in-country access to information about cutting edge treatments and modern medicines therapies at events which are specifically intended to be educational or on scientific developments. Instead, New Zealand healthcare professionals have had to travel internationally or spend large amounts of time doing research online to access this material.” Says Dr Jarvis.

Another large effect was that local conference organisers and business associations, also struggled to pitch New Zealand as an attractive destination for these events, as pharmaceutical companies have been nervous about breaking the rules. This made many international conferences financially non-viable to run here. Practically this has also meant that many Australasian events which were traditionally rotated between New Zealand and Australia have in recent years been held in Australia instead.

“Medicines New Zealand and other like-minded groups especially Business Events Industry Aotearoa, have long advocated for changes to be made to this rule, this has also been amplified by Business New Zealand. We are all hopeful that the necessary regulatory modifications can be actioned quickly to enable New Zealand to be both better aligned with our peer nations internationally and allow the country to maximise the health, economic and other spillover benefits that are obtained from being able to host international medical conferences in New Zealand.” Says Dr Jarvis.

Note:

[1]: Excerpt from Medsafe compliance guidance titled “Marketing Products Which Are Not Approved Medicines” published on the Medsafe website on 26 November 2019.

“Medsafe interprets the Medicines Act regarding advertising as below...

Provision of any information relating to unapproved medicines, or the potential availability of medicines in the future at scientific / clinical / professional conferences would be regarded as a breach of the Medicines Act, regardless of the content or audience.”

Source: https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/compliance/Marketing.asp

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