Prescribing
Whilst the Health Select Committee have now agreed that NPs should have authorised
prescriber status we still await the final reading of the Medicine’s Amendment Bill. At the
time of writing it is unclear what exactly constitutes the delay in the passage of this Bill. We
have recently received assurance in writing from the Associate Minister of Health , Hon,
Todd McClay that he has asked Parliament to consider the Bill soon in order to ensure
passage before July 2014.
The same Bill also paves the way for nursing to begin work on a model of RN prescribing to
utilise the designated prescriber category. Nursing Council has completed consultation on this
development. We were disturbed this year to see PHARMAC extend special authority
prescribing to GPs whilst overlooking NPs. Interestingly despite many requests for
consultation coming to the College and other organisations this year, this announcement
came as a surprise. Currently the Chief Nurse’s Office in the MoH is chasing this up.
Nursing Workforce in General
o
Consumer Alliance Work
Judy Yarwood has continued to maintain a relationship with Rural Women and with the
Rural Health Alliance Network.
o Report on National Nursing Consortium 2014
Membership
Maureen Morris (Chair, NZNO) Di Roud (College of Nurses) Maureen Ager, Daryle Deering
(NZCMHN), Susanne Trim (secretary, NZNO) David Warrington, Angela Bates (College of
Nursing)
Hemaima Hughes who represented Te Kaunihera resigned in February due to personnel
reasons. Replacement pending.
The National Nursing Consortium is a collaborative, national process for overarching
endorsement of nursing standards