New Zealand's Medicines Advertising Ban Lifted, Boosting Economic Growth

The passing on the Medicines Amendment Bill has ended New Zealand’s prohibition on advertising medicines at medical conferences and trade shows, and New Zealand is open for business, Regulation Minister David Seymour and Health Minister Simeon Brown say.

Thanks to the Red Tape Tipline local economies will receive a cash injection, and Kiwis will have more access to medicines they need, Mr Seymour said.

Allowing medical conferences to advertise yet to be approved medicines is estimated to generate $90 million in associated revenue over the next few years.

Two of Australasia’s largest medical conferences have already confirmed they are coming to New Zealand in 2026. A combined total of 3300 delegates are expected to attend, generating millions of dollars in economic activity.

Prohibition was introduced in response to the perceived risk that pharmaceutical companies may attempt to circumvent formal medicine approval processes. The Ministry for Regulation investigated this. They found the overly cautious approach was out of step with other recognised jurisdictions. The Government acted fast to fix it.

Allowing these products to be advertised will also increase medicines access. It provides medical professionals with more knowledge and skills to prescribe these treatments to Kiwis who need them.

This Government is committed to removing regulatory barriers so that we can drive economic growth. Removing the red tape around medical conferences has Mr Brown says the Government is committed to removing regulatory barriers to drive economic growth.

Removing red tape around medical conferences makes New Zealand a more attractive destination for organisers, while also making it easier for our own healthcare professionals to keep up with the latest innovations in health products and medicines, Mr Brown says.

Current health regulations can be overly bureaucratic, slowing access to care, increasing costs, and making it harder for patients to get the services they need. Medical conferences are a great way to expand the collective knowledge and skill of the health workforce through the transfer of ideas and technologies.

We look forward to welcoming more medical conferences to New Zealand, and we have excellent facilities to host them. With the International Convention Centre opening early next year in Auckland, these changes – together with this world-class new venue – will help attract more conferences and support our growing economy.