These regulations are the Medicines (Designated Prescriber: Nurse Practitioners) Regulations 2005.

These regulations come into force on 1 November 2005.

The purpose of these regulations is to—

• (a) authorise nurse practitioners who meet specified requirements for competency, qualifications, and training to prescribe certain prescription medicines; and

• (b) specify, and provide for the specification of, the requirements; and

• (c) prohibit nurse practitioners who fail to comply with the requirements from prescribing the medicines; and

• (d) make contraventions of that prohibition an offence.

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires,—

A nurse practitioner may prescribe a nurse practitioner medicine if he or she meets—

• (a) the requirements in regulation 6 for commencing for the first time to prescribe the medicine; and

• (b) the additional requirements in regulations 7 and 8 (if relevant) for prescribing the medicine.

Before commencing for the first time to prescribe a nurse practitioner medicine, a nurse practitioner must have—

• (a) obtained a nurse practitioner prescribing qualification that is specified for the purposes of this paragraph by the Nursing Council by notice in the Gazette; and

• (b) undertaken the training (if any) that is specified for the purposes of this paragraph by the Nursing Council by notice in the Gazette; and

• (c) demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the Nursing Council, that he or she is sufficiently knowledgeable to safely prescribe all nurse practitioner medicines.

To prescribe a nurse practitioner medicine, a nurse practitioner must have—

• (a) undertaken successfully the training (if any) that is specified for the purposes of this regulation by the Nursing Council by notice in the Gazette; and

• (b) done so within the periods, or at the times, specified for the purpose in the notice, if the training is of an ongoing nature.

To prescribe a nurse practitioner medicine, a nurse practitioner must have—

• (a) completed successfully the assessment (if any) of competence to prescribe the medicine that is specified for the purposes of this regulation by the Nursing Council by notice in the Gazette; and

• (b) done so within the periods, or at the times, specified for the purpose in the notice, if the assessment is to be completed at regular intervals.

(1) For the purposes of these regulations, a notice in the Gazette—

• (a) comes into force on the 28th day after the date of publication or on a later date specified for the purpose in the notice; and

• (b) may provide that it expires, if not sooner revoked, with the close of a specified day.

(2) Within 5 working days after the date of publication of a notice in the Gazette for the purposes of these regulations, and while the notice remains in force, the Nursing Council must ensure that an up-to-date version of the notice is—

• (a) available on the Internet; and

• (b) available at the office of the Nursing Council during business hours, so that members of the public may—

  • (i) inspect the notice free of charge; or

  • (ii) obtain a photocopy of the notice for a reasonable fee.

(1) A nurse practitioner must not prescribe a nurse practitioner medicine unless he or she—

• (a) complies with the requirements in regulations 6, 7, and 8; or

• (b) prescribes that medicine under and in accordance with another enactment.

(2) A person commits an offence if he or she contravenes or fails to comply with subclause (1).

(3) The offence is punishable on conviction by a fine not exceeding $500.

Amendment(s) incorporated in the regulations.

(1) The Medicines (Designated Prescriber: Nurses Practising in Aged Care and Child Family Health) Regulations 2001 (SR 2001/230) are consequentially revoked.

(2) Amendment(s) incorporated in the regulations.

(1) An existing designated prescriber nurse must, during the 3 years beginning with 1 November 2005, and despite the revocations effected by regulation 12, be treated as authorised by the former regulations to prescribe a specified prescription medicine if the nurse meets the requirements in the former regulations, and those imposed by the Nursing Council under those regulations before their revocation,—

• (a) for commencing for the first time to prescribe the medicine; and

• (b) (if relevant) for prescribing the medicine.

(2) In this regulation,—

(3) Nothing in this regulation prevents an existing designated prescriber nurse from becoming, during the period specified in subclause (1), a nurse practitioner authorised by these regulations to prescribe a nurse practitioner medicine.