More than 200 medicines approved for paramedics to prescribe
New Zealand paramedics will soon prescribe 232 medicines for common infections, repeat prescriptions, and urgent care, expanding their role beyond emergency response.
Paramedics in New Zealand will gain prescribing authority for 232 medicines, covering common infections, repeat prescriptions for long-term conditions, and treatments required in urgent and community care settings. Health Minister Simeon Brown highlighted that paramedics increasingly provide everyday care in homes, aged care facilities, and rural areas where other health professionals may be scarce. The change follows a June announcement that paramedics could become designated prescribers, enabling them to issue prescriptions without requiring patients to visit a doctor or after-hours clinic.
The expanded prescribing list includes medicines for common infections such as chest or ear infections, allowing paramedics to assess and treat patients in their communities with a full course of medication. Repeat prescriptions for long-term conditions like pain relief, asthma inhalers, and diabetes medicines are also included, reducing the need for patients to seek additional prescribers. In urgent care, paramedics can prescribe on the spot, such as for residents in aged care facilities, potentially avoiding unnecessary hospital transfers.
Paramedics will also be able to prescribe palliative care medicines, treatments for high blood pressure, and angina, further supporting community-based care. Currently, paramedics administer medicines under standing orders but cannot prescribe them, often requiring patients to obtain prescriptions separately. This change aims to address inefficiencies and better reflect the evolving role of paramedics in healthcare delivery.
The new framework prioritizes patient safety, with paramedics required to complete approved training before prescribing. The Paramedic Council will oversee training standards, competency requirements, and ongoing monitoring of prescribing practices. This model has been successfully implemented in the United Kingdom since 2018, with high patient satisfaction and reduced pressure on primary care, and is also being adopted in Victoria, Australia.