Medicines Act 1981

Introduction

You could also call this:

"Keeping You Safe with Good Quality Medicines and Devices"

Illustration for Medicines Act 1981

This law is about medicines, medical devices, and related products. You will learn about how these things are made, sold, and given to people. The law helps keep you safe by making sure these products are good quality. The law talks about the manufacture of medicines and medical devices. This means how they are made and what they are made of. You can read more about this in other parts of the law, such as the sections on manufacture and medical devices. The law also talks about the sale and supply of these products. This means how they are sold to people and how they are given to those who need them. The law wants to make sure you get the right products and that they are safe for you to use. The law is here to help keep you safe and healthy. It makes sure that medicines and medical devices are made and given to people in a way that is safe and good for them. You can trust that the products you use are okay because of this law.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM53789.

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Highlights from this law




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1: Short Title and commencement, or

"What the Medicines Act 1981 is and when it starts"

Medicines Act 1981

Reprint as at:
2025-11-19
Assent:
1981-10-23
Commencement:
see section 1(2)

The Parliamentary Counsel Office has made editorial and format changes to this version using the powers under subpart 2 of Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

Note 4 at the end of this version provides a list of the amendments included in it.

This Act is administered by the Ministry of Health.


An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to the manufacture, sale, and supply of medicines, medical devices, and related products