Medicines Act 1981

Application and administration of Act - Administration

13: Functions, powers, and procedures of Medicines Review Committee

You could also call this:

"The Medicines Review Committee's jobs and how it makes decisions about medicines."

The Medicines Review Committee has some jobs to do. You can think of these jobs as looking into problems and making decisions. The Committee looks into objections about some recommendations made by another committee, and it also hears appeals. When someone makes an objection, the Committee inquires into it and reports back to the Minister. The Committee does not have to follow a strict procedure when looking into objections or appeals. It just has to be fair and consider what everyone has to say. When the Committee reports back to the Minister, it includes a recommendation about what the Minister should decide. The Committee can also make decisions about who pays costs. If someone makes an objection and pays a deposit, the Committee usually refunds this deposit when it finishes looking into the objection. The Committee can decide how it wants to work, as long as it follows the rules in this Act and any regulations.

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This page was last updated on 27 October 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM55022.

Topics:

Health and wellbeing > Public healthHealth and wellbeing > Healthcare servicesGovernment and voting > Government departments

12: Committee may appoint subcommittees, or

"The Committee can create smaller groups to help make decisions."

14: Servicing of committees, or

"Helping committees work properly with staff and facilities"

Part 1Application and administration of Act
Administration

13Functions, powers, and procedures of Medicines Review Committee

The functions of the Medicines Review Committee shall be as follows:
to inquire into any objection to the terms of a recommendation of the appropriate committee made under section 22(2), and to report its findings to the Minister:
to hear appeals under section 88.

On receipt of an objection made in accordance with section 22(4), and of a deposit by the objector of the prescribed amount, the Committee shall inquire into the objection and report its findings to the Minister as soon as practicable.
On receipt of an appeal made in accordance with section 88, the Committee shall inquire into and determine the appeal as soon as practicable.
In carrying out its inquiries under subsection (2) or subsection (3), the Committee shall not be bound to follow any formal procedure, but shall observe the rules of natural justice, and shall consider all submissions made by or on behalf of the objector or appellant.
Every report by the Committee to the Minister on an objection shall include a recommendation as to the decision the Minister should make in respect of the matter to which the objection relates.
The Committee may make such order as to costs as it thinks fit.
Subject to any order made under subsection (6), the Committee shall, on completing its deliberations on any objection, refund to the objector the deposit paid by him under subsection (2).
Subject to the provisions of this section and of any regulations made under this Act, the Committee may determine its own procedure.