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About registered nurse prescribing
Registered nurse prescribing enables nurses to use their knowledge and skills to support positive health outcomes. As demand for health care services increases – driven by New Zealand's increasing and ageing population – registered nurse prescribing helps the health system respond more effectively.
International evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of nurse prescribing. Nurses with prescribing authority are increasingly common in overseas jurisdictions, and prescribing patterns are comparable to those of other authorised prescribers. Evidence shows that extended nurse prescribing can deliver a range of benefits, including:
- improved access to treatment
- enhanced continuity and quality of care
- more effective use of medical staff’s time
- stronger inter-professional working practices
- increased professional satisfaction for nurses.
How registered nurse prescribing works
Suitably qualified registered nurses can apply to the Nursing Council for authorisation as a designated prescriber. Once authorised, they may prescribe from a specified list of medicines approved by the Director-General of Health by notice in the New Zealand Gazette. This is in accordance with section 105(5A) of the Medicines Act 1981 and in amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977.
This means that people can obtain a prescription for these medicines directly from a registered nurse prescriber, rather than needing to see a doctor or nurse practitioner. Registered nurse prescribers work as part of multidisciplinary teams n primary care or specialist clinics.
The Nursing Council sets the professional regulation and guidance for registered nurse prescribing in Aotearoa New Zealand. Further information and relevant documents are on the Nursing Council website.
Updates to the medicines list
The list of medicines that designated registered nurse prescribers can prescribe is updated from time to time to ensure it remains current.
In September 2025, the Ministry of Health consulted on proposals to enable registered nurse prescribers to prescribe additional medicines. An analysis of submissions on the proposed amendments is available on the Ministry of Health website.
Following consultation and publication of the New Zealand Gazette notice in December 2025, registered nurse prescribers can now prescribe an additional 211 prescription medicines for common and long-term conditions. These include treatments for high blood pressure, diabetes, and menopause symptoms.
Find more information and guidance on the Nursing Council of New Zealand website.
Diabetes medicine classes added to registered nurse prescriber list
Timely access to treatment for diabetes in the community was further supported on 15 August 2024, with two classes of medicines added to the registered nurse prescriber list. These are:
- glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists (GLP-1 agonists), eg, dulaglutide, liraglutide
- sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2 inhibitors), eg, empagliflozin, dapagliflozin.
These medicines may be used to improve blood glucose lowering therapy in patients who do not respond to first line therapy or who have additional risk factors.
The Ministry consulted on these changes in May 2024 at the recommendation of the Nursing Council. Of the 83 submissions received, more than 97% supported the proposed additions.
A summary of the consultation is available below.
List updated in 2022
In August 2020, the Nursing Council proposed that 52 medicines be added to the list. The Ministry of Health then consulted about the addition of these medicines to the list, as required under section 105(5B) of the Medicines Act.
Reclassification of nirmatrelvir, ritonavir and molnupiravir for use in the treatment of COVID-19
On 27 July 2022, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir (Paxolvid™) and molnupiravir (Lagevrio®) were reclassified from Prescription-Only medicines to Pharmacist-Only (restricted) medicines when used in the treatment of COVID-19 pursuant to section 106(1) of the Medicines Act 1981.
