Misuse of Drugs (Pseudoephedrine) Amendment Bill
This bill makes it easier to buy cold and flu medicines that contain pseudoephedrine. Right now, pseudoephedrine is treated as a higher-risk controlled drug, meaning you need a prescription to get it. The bill moves it to a lower-risk category, so pharmacies will be able to sell cold and flu products containing pseudoephedrine over the counter — without you needing to see a doctor first. The changes take effect the day after the bill is signed into law.
What this affects
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People will be able to buy cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine at a pharmacy without needing a prescription from a doctor.
This Bill reclassifies pseudoephedrine from a Class B2 to a Class C3 controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, so that cold and flu products containing pseudoephedrine can be sold in pharmacies without a prescription.
Pseudoephedrine is being added to Part 3 of Schedule 3, which means it will be a partially exempted drug as defined under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977.
replaces the definition of partially exempted drug to remove the dosage limitation that currently applies to pseudoephedrine in order for it to be considered a partially exempted drug
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
Submissions open once a bill reaches the select committee stage. In the meantime, you can write to your local MP about it.
Write to your MPBill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.