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Registered nurse prescribing in primary health and specialty teams

Registered nurses prescribing in primary and specialty teams prescribe from a list of medicines for common and long-term conditions.

Nurses must be a part of a collaborative team so that the nurse can consult a doctor or mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner if the patient's health concerns are more complex than they can manage.

Guidance for employers and nurse is available in Preparation and Guidance for Employers and RN Prescribers 2022

The guideline provides advice on maintaining safe prescribing practice and legal limitations for registered nurse prescribers.

Qualifications

Registered nurses who wish to prescribe in primary health and speciality teams are required to have:

  • a minimum of three years full-time practice in the area they intend to prescribe in with at least one year of the total practice in New Zealand or a similar healthcare context.
  • the completion of a Council-approved postgraduate diploma in registered nurse prescribing for long-term and common conditions or equivalent as assessed by the Nursing Council.
  • a practicum with an authorised prescriber (senior doctor or mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner), which demonstrates knowledge to safely prescribe specified prescription medicines and knowledge of the regulatory framework for prescribing.
  • a satisfactory assessment of the competencies for nurse prescribers completed by the prescribed mentor (authorised prescriber).
  • an RN prescribing role within a collaborative team which includes an authorised prescriber who will continue to provide mentorship and support for prescribing practice.

The programme outcomes for the postgraduate diploma in registered nurse prescribing for long-term and common conditions and Competencies for nurse prescribers (2016) are embedded in the education programme standards for mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner master’s programmes. This means the postgraduate diploma may be credited to a mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner master’s programme. It also ensures a consistent educational foundation for both types of prescribers.

Applying for authorisation to prescribe

Log onto MyNC and select and apply for registered nurse prescribing. You will be prompted to complete an online application, submit documents, make a declaration about your fitness to practise and complete the payment.


Please ensure that documents are named and verified as appropriate.

You will be prompted to upload the following documents as part of your online application:

  • curriculum vitae (CV).
  • a letter from your service manager supporting your application.
  • evidence of your successful completion of the postgraduate diploma in registered nurse prescribing for long-term and common conditions (please upload eQuals or transcript).
  • a letter from your prescribing mentor confirming that they will mentor your prescribing practice and that you are part of a collaborative team.
  • a satisfactory assessment of the competencies for nurse prescribers completed by a prescribing mentor.
  • a sample (10 cases) of your prescribing log.

Recertification Audit Requirements: 3-yearly

On 30 June 2022, the recertification timeframe for registered nurses in primary health and specialty teams changed from annual to three-yearly. Recertification due dates now coincide with the annual practising certificate renewal. More information about this change can be found in the Council’s gazette notice, published at https://gazette.govt.nz/.

The evidence required for three-yearly recertification is:

  • Professional development – a minimum of 20 hours of professional development related to prescribing practice over the past three years.
  • Prescribing practice – a letter from an authorised prescribing mentor (senior doctor or mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner) to confirm completion of 40 days (320 hours) of prescribing practice annually and maintenance of prescribing competence.

There are templates for professional development and the practice hours letter available to download on this page. 

Additionally, from 30 June 2022, prescribers in primary health and specialty teams will no longer be required to work under the supervision of an authorised prescriber for the first 12 months of prescribing practice. Prescribers who were authorised after 1 July 2021 are no longer required to submit evidence of this requirement and the condition in their scope of practice will be removed by the Council. However, nurses authorised before 1 July 2021 who still have a supervision condition in their scope of practice will need to continue to receive supervised prescribing practice for the full 12-month period and complete the requirements of the now historical first recertification audit (see information next section).

Please note registered nurse prescribers in primary health and specialty teams are no longer exempted from the Council’s random recertification audit unless a current PDRP portfolio is held. If a prescriber is selected for audit, they will need to supply the evidence required for registered nurses (excludes prescribing competencies).

Please upload recertification documents to your MyNC portal under ‘continuing competence’ and email [email protected] to advise that you have done so. Professional development records must be named, verified, and include dates and durations. An email reminder is sent out six weeks before recertification evidence is due.

Recertification Audit Requirements: 12 months

Prior to 30 June 2022, all newly authorised registered nurse prescribers in primary health and specialty teams had a condition placed in their scope of practice, stating that they ‘must prescribe under supervision of an authorised prescriber for 12 months’.

Registered nurse prescribers in primary health and specialty teams who were authorised before 1 July 2021 who still have a supervision condition in their scope of practice will need to continue to receive supervised prescribing practice for the full 12-month period and submit the evidence outlined below. This will enable the practice condition to be removed.

The evidence required to remove this condition is:

  • Professional Development – a minimum of 20 hours of professional development related to prescribing practice over the past three years.
  • Competence Assessment – a satisfactory assessment of the competencies for nurse prescribers completed by an authorised prescribing mentor (senior doctor or mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner).
  • Support Letter – a letter from an authorised prescribing mentor (senior doctor or mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner) to confirm: completion of 40 days (320 hours) of prescribing practice in the last 12 months, maintenance of prescribing competence, and that 12 months of prescribing supervision has been received.

Professional development relating to prescribing practice

  • Evidence of 20 hours of professional development should include activities relating to prescribing practice in addition to or other than the Prescribing Practicum paper completed as part of the prescribing qualification. There is an expectation that nurse prescribers will engage consistently in professional development relating to prescribing practice.
  • The level of your professional development should be appropriate to your scope of practice and work context.
  • Journal reading is only considered a professional development activity if it takes place within a framework such as a journal club or to inform an educational or quality improvement process.
  • Meetings may be considered a professional development activity if they have an educational focus and include appropriate documentation (for example, minutes that clearly identify the education topic).
  • Reflection on professional development is not assessed as part of the RN prescribing recertification audit. If the relevance of the professional development activity to prescribing practice is not clear, a statement of learning may be required.
  • Registered nurses prescribing in primary health and specialty teams are required to provide evidence of a minimum 20 hours of professional development relating to prescribing practice over the past three years as part of the 60 hours of professional development required for all registered nurses.