Twenty-five registered nurses can now prescribe medicines while working in the Hawke’s Bay community, thanks to a new registered nurse prescribing programme.

The Nursing Council of New Zealand last year endorsed Te Whatu Ora – Te Matau a Māui to run Hawke’s Bay’s inaugural Registered Nurse Prescribing in Community Health programme. This equips nurses working for Te Whatu Ora, general practices, Māori providers and other community healthcare organisations to prescribe from a list of about 80 medications. These include for contraception and sexual health, infections (ear, throat, skin etc.), eczema, headlice, rheumatic fever and other conditions.

Chief Nursing Officer at Te Whatu Ora Hawke’s Bay Karyn Bousfield-Black says registered nurses must have at least three years’ experience in their role to enrol for the programme. The first cohort of 25 graduated in late November. 

The programme importantly provides another way for registered nurses to become prescribers. Nurse practitioners who have completed a Masters degree are already authorised to prescribe to the same level as GPs, and registered nurses who have undertaken postgraduate study can prescribe within the RN prescribing in primary care and specialty teams’ scope. 

“By the time nurses are able to prescribe they are actually very experienced,” says Bousfield-Black. “The data shows that nurses are careful and safe prescribers.”

“This is a successful way to utilise our workforce,” she adds. “Nurses are often in places in the community others aren’t, and can provide care alongside other prescribing clinicians in integrated teams, as well as give whānau more immediate access to needed medication.” 

Hawke’s Bay was one of the first districts around the motu to offer the new programme. Counties Manukau was the first to pilot it in 2017. 

The HB initiative was supported by a clinical programme lead from Te Whatu Ora and the Primary Health Organisation, Health Hawke’s Bay. Next year another cohort of between 20-25 registered nurses will be invited to enrol. 

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