Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs

About the committee

The Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs (EACD) was established by the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Act 2000 to provide expert advice to the Minister of Health on drug classification issues. 

The EACD:

• conducts reviews of controlled drugs and other narcotic or psychotropic substances
• recommends to the Minister whether and how such substances should be classified under the Act
• increases public awareness of its work by (for instance) releasing papers, reports and recommendations.

The EACD is an advisory body that makes recommendations to the Minister. It is the role of the Minister to decide whether to put forward any recommendations to Parliament for decision.

More information about the criteria for classifying drugs, the role of the EACD and the Minister of Health, and the classification process is contained in sections 3A to 5AA of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975.

The Misuse of Drugs Act controls the supply of drugs by classifying drugs based on the risk of harm a drug poses to individuals or to society by their misuse.

Committee membership

The Act requires the EACD to consist of up to 11 members. 

The Committee must comprise up to:

• 5 people who, between them, have appropriate expertise in pharmacology, toxicology, drug and alcohol treatment, psychology and community medicine
• 3 people employed in the public service who, between them, have appropriate expertise in public health, the appropriateness and safety of pharmaceuticals and their availability to the public, and border control.

Also required are:

• one Police employee
• one employee of the Ministry of Justice who has appropriate expertise in matters relating to the justice system
• one person representing the views of consumers of drug treatment services.

Drug classification process

The Act requires the classification of controlled drugs to be based on the risk of harm to individuals or society. 

The EACD is required to advise the Minister on a range of specific criteria for each drug. These include:

• the likelihood or evidence of drug abuse, including the prevalence of the drug, levels of consumption, drug seizure trends, and the potential appeal to vulnerable populations
• the specific effects of the drug, including pharmacological, psychoactive, and toxicological effects
• the risks, if any, to public health
• the therapeutic value of the drug, if any
• the potential for use of the drug to cause death
• the ability of the drug to create physical or psychological dependence
• the international classification and experience of the drug in other jurisdictions
• any other matters that the Minister considers relevant.

Contact details

Contact the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs Secretariat at the Ministry of Health.

Email: [email protected]

Postal address:
Regulatory Practice and Analysis
Medsafe
Ministry of Health
PO Box 5013
Wellington

Meeting agendas and minutes

Other reports considered by the EACD are available upon request.

17 April 2018 meeting

• Agenda (Word, 69 KB)
• Minutes - redacted under sections 9(2)(ba) of the Official Information Act 1982 (Word, 97 KB)
• Synthetic cannabinoids: Report prepared for the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs (Word, 471 KB)
• AB-FUBINACA and AMB FUBINACA: Report to the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs (Word, 509 KB)