Medical Alerts

Prescribing limits

Amendments to the Medicines Regulations 1984 and the Medicines (Standing Order) Regulations 2002 were announced early in 2011. A number of changes took effect on 1 August, with the remainder effective from 1 December. More
The changes, effective from 1 December, include:

• Prescribing within scope of practice (Regulation 39 and 39A): medical practitioners, dentists and midwives are now able to prescribe any prescription medicines that fall within their scope of practice. Midwives will no longer be restricted to prescribing only for antenatal, intrapartum, and post-natal care periods. They will still only be allowed to prescribe for patients under their care. All prescribers must only prescribe within their scope of practice for patients under their care.
• Period of supply of dentists’ prescriptions (Regulation 39A): removal of the 10 day limit of dentists prescribing. This means that dentists (and other authorised prescribers) can prescribe a maximum of three months supply of a prescription medicine.
• Period of supply in special circumstances (Regulation 39A): the Director-General of Health is now able to authorise an extension of the period of supply of a prescription medicine in certain circumstances.
• Limit on period of supply of prescription medicines.

(1) An authorised prescriber may not on any occasion prescribe for any patient a quantity of any prescription medicine that exceeds—
    (a) 6 months' supply in the case of an oral contraceptive; or
    (b) 3 months' supply in any other case.
(2) However, the Director-General may, at his or her discretion, authorise—
(a) an authorised prescriber to prescribe for any patient, or any specified class or classes of patients, a quantity of a prescription medicine exceeding the period of supply in subclause (1)(a) or (b):
(b) a class of authorised prescribers to prescribe for any patient, or any specified class or classes of patients, a quantity of a prescription medicine exceeding the period of supply in subclause (1)(a) or (b).

Regulation 39A: inserted, on 1 December 2011, by regulation 15 of the Medicines Amendment Regulations 2011 (SR 2011/245).
The Medicines Amendment Regulations 2011, the Medicines (Standing Order) Amendment Regulations 2011 and other related legislation are available online at www.legislation.govt.nz.

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