- Hon David Seymour
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says the Government is delivering on its promise to cut red tape and give Kiwis greater access to more treatments, starting with melatonin and medicinal psilocybin.
"Many New Zealanders have asked me why people can buy melatonin overseas but they can't buy it from their local pharmacy. Medsafe has assessed this and decided there's no reason why it shouldn't be available on pharmacy shelves right here at home," says Mr Seymour.
Melatonin, a medicine used to treat insomnia and jet lag, has previously been tightly restricted in New Zealand. Right now, only a few melatonin products are approved for people aged over 55.
"In time, adults will be able to buy melatonin directly from a pharmacy with no prescription needed. This is a commonsense decision that will make melatonin more accessible in New Zealand than in many other countries and encourage suppliers bring more products to our shelves.
Melatonin will remain prescription-only for children and adolescents, following expert clinical advice to ensure proper oversight when used by younger patients.
"In another win for patients, Medsafe has also approved the prescription of medicinal psilocybin outside of clinical trials for the first time in New Zealand," says Mr Seymour.
"Psilocybin remains an unapproved medicine, but a highly experienced psychiatrist has been granted authority to prescribe it to patients with treatment-resistant depression.
"This is huge for people with depression who've tried everything else and are still suffering. If a doctor believes psilocybin can help, they should have the tools to try.
"The psychiatrist involved has previously prescribed psilocybin in clinical trials and will operate under strict reporting and record-keeping requirements.
"New Zealand is now in line with Australia, where authorised prescribers have been using psilocybin in clinical settings for some time.
"Kiwis shouldn't be left counting sheep or desperate for options when other countries are already using these medicines. The Government is committed to putting patients first."
