133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
3 May 2024
New Zealand
T +64 4 496 2000
W www.medsafe.govt.nz
A Mckee
By email: [FYI request #26317 email]
Ref:
H2024038966
Tēnā koe A Mckee
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Ministry of
Health – Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) on 4 April 2024. You requested:
“It is my observation that Medsafe applies different standards in their monitoring of discount
pharmacies (pharmacies opting not to collect the $5 co-payment for prescriptions) than
those applied to other community pharmacies. Please provide copies of any communication
on the subject of Pharmacy Quality Audits AND discount pharmacies (including operator
names such as Chemist Warehouse and Countdown) between the Ministry of Health and
Medsafe from 2017 to 2020. For clarity, I am not interested in the $5 charge itself or lack
thereof; I am specifically looking for differences in how the audit standards are applied.”
The Ministry has conducted a search of its records and could not find any information in scope of
your request. Therefore, your request is refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act, as the
information requested is not held by the Ministry and there are no grounds for believing it is held
by another agency subject to the Act.
Please note, the same standard is applied across all pharmacies when conducting pharmacy
quality audits.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please feel free
to contact the OIA Services Team on:
[email address].
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any decisions
made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Manatū Hauora website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-
official-information-act-requests.
Nāku noa, nā
Chris James
Group Manager
Medsafe