Natural Health Products Advisory Group

Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health (the Ministry) is welcoming expressions of interest from individuals with significant and relevant experience and expertise to join a Natural Health Products (NHP) Advisory Group. The Group will support the development of secondary legislation under the Therapeutic Products Act (2023) by providing independent, non-binding advice to the Ministry.

The Act aims to protect, promote and improve the health of all New Zealanders by providing for the:

• acceptable safety, quality and efficacy of medicines
• acceptable safety, quality and performance of medical devices
• acceptable safety and quality of NHPs, and that any health benefit claims are supported by scientific or traditional evidence.

The Group’s advice will inform policy and regulation intended to ensure the acceptable safety and quality of NHPs, and that New Zealanders can be confident in the health benefit claims made about NHPs.

The Group will include up to seven core members and a wider group of up to 13 associates to provide guidance and advice as required. 

It will, among other things, provide advice on developing a list of recognised NHP ingredients, scoping health benefit claims and the substantiation process, market authorisation processes for NHPs, and the approach for manufacture and exports. This will be in the context of the purpose and principles set out in the Therapeutic Products Act (2023).

Expressions of interest are now open and will close at 5pm on Thursday 16 November 2023.

Information can be accessed at https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/regulation-health-and-disability-system/therapeutic-products-regulatory-regime