Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:646;Page:15349] 
7.  
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: How many adverse reactions to medicines were reported last year in primary and hospital health care and how many to dietary supplements and natural remedies? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Health) 
: 
 It is not possible to accurately compare the two areas as unlike the situation with medicines there is no formal reporting mechanism for adverse reactions to natural remedies and dietary supplements. These are captured only incidentally through the medicines formal reporting system. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Given the comparatively low risk of natural health care is he concerned that Medsafe has hired a team of auditors to target manufacturers of natural health products who opposed the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill last year threatening them with prosecution for saying for example that lavender oil may help heal burns; and given the recent public admission by the head of Medsafe that the purpose of the crackdown is not safety but rather to demonstrate the need for new legislation does the Minister not agree that this looks like a retaliatory strike or utu? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I completely reject the last characterisation but I would say that although Medsafe is a statutory regulatory agency I would expect it to discharge its responsibilities in a way that is proportionate appropriate and well understood. 
Lesley Soper 
: What approach does the Minister expect Medsafe to follow when looking at complementary medicines? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I would expect Medsafe to adopt a proportionate approach whereby low-risk medicines such as the majority of complementary medicines have a lower level of compliance costs than medicines with a greater potential to cause harm. I have made this clear to Medsafe and I look forward to a further briefing on these matters. In addition I have invited Medsafe to report back to me on its fees framework and the level of fees charged to different types of manufacturers. I am advised however that the majority of complementary medical producers believe that appropriate regulation is a good thing and that it is in their interests. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Can the Minister explain why the manufacturer of these herbal teas—which have been used safely for centuries—has received letters from Medsafe saying it is a breach of the Medicines Act to use the words “digestive ease tea for soothing and settling the stomach” on a label when this wording has been previously approved by Medsafe; and has there been a change of Government policy so that it is now a crime to say that a particular tea can soothe the stomach? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: No and no. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Is he aware that Medsafe is also targeting natural health practitioners and telling them that it is illegal for them to imply that any product they recommend to a client has a therapeutic purpose; and does he agree that if a natural health practitioner cannot recommend a particular remedy then he or she will not be able to practice; and is this the Government’s intention to wipe out natural health practitioners in New Zealand? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I am sure that all members of the House share an interest in building genuine understanding of these complex issues in the interests of well-being and safety and not to fuel misunderstanding of the issues. I repeat that although Medsafe is a statutory regulatory agency I would expect it to discharge those responsibilities in a way that is proportionate appropriate and well understood. 
Sue Kedgley 
: I thank the Minister for his answer and ask whether he can also reassure the industry that instead of allowing Medsafe to continue on with its witch-hunt of the natural health industry he will commit to sitting down with the industry and coming up with a sensible New Zealand - based system of regulation such as the industry and indeed most politicians in this House have been calling for for many years? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: Again although I reject the contention of a witch-hunt I can confirm that I am considering a range of options to engage more directly with the industry. It is important to build a greater level of mutual understanding of this situation. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Does the Minister think it is ridiculous and totally false of Medsafe to rule out for example a claim such as that eating oranges will avert the onset of scurvy which everyone has known to be the case for centuries yet it will not allow even that to be said? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I expect Medsafe to act in a way that is proportionate appropriate and well understood. 
Sue Kedgley 
: I seek leave to table some of the letters that Medsafe has been sending to dozens of practitioners and manufacturers around the country. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.