Protest On Parliament Against Medsafe’s Witch Hunt
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday 27th May
Protest
On Parliament Against Medsafe’s Witch Hunt
Consumers
of Natural Health products rally at the steps of Parliament
Thursday 12 noon to present a petition of over 7,000
signatures calling on the Minister of Health to stop
Medsafe’s witch hunt in the natural products industry.
Medsafe have been making demands of businesses to remove
information from their websites that pertain to a recently
broadened definition of therapeutic claims. According to
Medsafe’s recent interpretation of the 1981 Medicines Act
it is now illegal to have research, clinical trials and
testimonials on your website if they imply a therapeutic
benefit for natural products. You may not even place links
on your website to other sites with research, clinical
trials or scientific studies relating to the ingredients in
your products.
Spokesperson for Health Freedom NZ, Nicola Grace says “this is nothing short of a gag order and needs to be stopped”. She will present the petition on behalf of consumers to Sue Kedgley as head of the Health Select committee. The petition also calls on the Ministry of Health to get back to the negotiating table with the natural health industry who have been working on an appropriate New Zealand based model of regulation.
At 12.15 MPs will come down to receive the petition and give a speech about this back lash by the Ministry of Health for not accepting the “Anti-Vitamin” Bill last year. The head of Medsafe, Stewart Jessamine stated on National Radio earlier in the year that “This is part of a campaign to educate people that the (1981) legislation isn’t perfect and that we agree there is a need for new legislation in this area".
Sue Kedgley from the Greens, Rodney Hide from Act, Jackie Blue from National, and Gordon Copeland, who cast one of the deciding votes against the Bill when he became Independent from United Future will be available for interview by press at 12.15
The exact wording of the petition being presented is:
We, the undersigned, do respectfully call on the House to urge the Government to:
• STOP Medsafe's harassment of the natural
products industry.
• BEGIN working with the natural
products industry on a New Zealand regulatory model that
will
regulate dietary supplements and natural remedies appropriately, and protect consumers at the same
time.
• LEGISLATE to remove natural products
from Schedule 1 of the Medicines Act of 1981 because it
is
inappropriate to regulate dietary supplements and natural products as if they were high risk
medicines.
• DEVELOP a separate
classification and regulation for dietary supplements which
allows properly justifiable claims to be made.
MPs are available for interview from 12:15.
ENDS