- Hon Simeon Brown
Paramedics will be given the authority to prescribe medicines, enabling more patients to be treated in the community and helping reduce pressure on emergency departments, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
"Paramedics are highly skilled health professionals who provide care in emergency situations and some of the most challenging circumstances," Mr Brown says.
"While paramedics are best known for their work in ambulances and rescue helicopters, they are increasingly delivering care in people's homes, aged residential care settings, and communities with limited access to healthcare.
"Currently, paramedics rely on standing orders from authorised prescribers, meaning they can administer certain medicines but cannot prescribe them.
"This approach is inflexible, creates unnecessary administrative burden, and no longer reflects the modern role paramedics play in delivering patient care.
"That's why we're making changes to enable paramedics to become designated prescribers under the Medicines Act 1981.
"Giving paramedics the ability to prescribe medicines will enable them to provide more complete care when it is clinically appropriate, rather than transferring patients elsewhere, such as an emergency department, solely to obtain a prescription. This will be particularly beneficial for people living in rural and remote areas.
"Under the changes, suitably qualified paramedics will be able to prescribe from a specified list of medicines within their scope of practice, allowing patients to access treatment sooner and experience better continuity of care."
Training programmes will be established to support paramedics in gaining the necessary prescribing qualifications.
Mr Brown says the change is part of the Government's broader focus on making better use of New Zealand's skilled health workforce to improve access to healthcare.
"These changes will help reduce pressure on emergency departments and hospitals, support more care in the community, and ensure patients receive the treatment they need sooner.
"We are focused on building the future of our healthcare system, and enabling paramedics to prescribe medicines is an important part of that."
Note to editors:
- The Ministry of Health is now consulting on the list of prescription medicines that paramedic prescribers may be authorised to prescribe. This could include:
- Medicines for common infections or minor conditions (e.g. respiratory or ear infections)
- Routine or repeat medications for common conditions (e.g. pain relief, asthma inhalers, diabetes medicines)
- Medicines needed in urgent or community care settings
- The list may also include some medicines that are controlled drugs. If these are included, amendments would be required under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977.
- The Ministry is also working to finalise the regulations that will be needed to authorise paramedics as prescribers.
- The Paramedic Council will also begin its work to design a new scope of practice for paramedic prescribers, along with education and training requirements.
