In 2014 the Nursing Council made an application to the Ministry of Health for designated prescribing rights for registered nurses practising in primary health and specialty teams. More information on the consultation and the full application document can be found here. This original application will enable suitably qualified and experienced registered nurses to prescribe for patients with some long term and common conditions within a collaborative team. 

Several submissions were received by Council to include medicines for nurses working in specialist ophthalmology (eye health) teams.  These medicines were not included in the original consultation.  The Council is now formally consulting on the specialist ophthalmology schedule of medicines in anticipation of a regulation for designated prescribing rights being passed in 2016.  This consultation is limited to the specialist ophthalmology schedule of medicines. 

NZNO will be making a submission on this proposal and we are seeking any feedback from members to inform this submission. Please note this consultation focuses solely on the medicines nurses working in ophthalmology teams will be able to prescribe.

Feedback Due: Please send comments to jillc@nzno.org.nz by 28 August 2015