The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) has announced a “new endorsement will allow suitably qualified registered nurses (RNs) to prescribe scheduled medicines 2, 3, 4 and 8 in partnership with an authorised health practitioner”.
Ahpra explained Australia “is well-positioned to follow the lead of comparable healthcare systems where RN prescribing is already delivering successful outcomes”.
Ahpra emphasised the standard “will enhance safe, reliable access to medicines, particularly in rural and remote areas, addressing shortages of primary care providers”.
It will “also help alleviate pressure points in both acute and primary care, where access to appointments is a challenge for healthcare consumers”.
The new endorsement, registration standard, and guidelines will come into effect mid-2025, with “governance frameworks and harmonisation of legislation required to support implementation”.
Ahpra’s announcement follows Australia’s Health Ministers last Friday (13 December) approving a new Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines – designated registered nurse prescriber (the standard), which enables suitably educated and qualified RNs to prescribe Schedule 2,3,4 and 8 medicines in partnership with an authorised health practitioner under a prescribing agreement.
Ahpra said “registered nurses form the largest healthcare workforce in Australia. Enabling appropriately educated RNs to prescribe Schedule 2, 3, 4 and 8 medicines in a partnership agreement will contribute to patients having timely, affordable access to healthcare.
“This prescribing model can improve resource use and enhance care coordination by allowing designated RN prescribers to manage medications, freeing up other healthcare professionals to focus on more complex areas of patient care.”
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) has collaborated with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) to develop the new Registered Nurse Prescribing Accreditation Standards to ensure that designated RN prescribers meet the National Prescribing Competencies Framework.
NMBA Chair Adjunct Professor Veronica Casey AM said the Board was confident that RNs who are educated and authorised to prescribe will do so safely within their scope of practice.
To apply for the endorsement, RNs must meet stringent requirements, including completing postgraduate qualifications and demonstrating adequate clinical experience. The added requirement of a six-month period of clinical mentorship with an authorised health practitioner post-endorsement provides an additional safeguard enabling designated RN prescribers to develop confidence in prescribing.
A key component of the new model is the prescribing agreement, a written document approved by the health organisation, service, or employer that formalises the partnership between the designated RN prescriber and the authorised health practitioner.
The agreement defines the roles and responsibilities of both parties and outlines any conditions within the designated RN prescriber’s scope of practice. To ensure clarity and transparency, communication materials will be developed to inform health professionals and the public about the designated RN prescriber role.
Health services looking to implement designated RN prescribing will need to establish governance frameworks that comply with Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) principles.
An advance copy of the standard will be published on the NMBA website in March 2025.
