The Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines – designated registered nurse prescriber came into effect on 30 September 2025.
This new registration standard published by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) will allow suitably qualified and endorsed registered nurses to administer, obtain, possess, prescribe, supply and/or use Schedule 2, 3, 4 and 8 medicines in partnership with an authorised health practitioner under a prescribing agreement.
Prescribing must be undertaken in accordance with the standard, the Guidelines for registered nurses applying for and with the endorsement – designated registered nurse prescriber (the guidelines), local policies and procedures, within the clinical context of care and within the designated RN prescriber’s scope of practice. What can be prescribed will be influenced by other regulatory frameworks and legislation outside of the NMBA’s jurisdiction, such as the relevant state or territory medicines and poisons legislation, and the requirements set by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
To qualify for the endorsement, an RN must:
- Hold current general registration as a registered nurse and have no conditions or undertakings relevant to the endorsement on their general registration
- Demonstrate at least three years’ (5000 hours) full-time clinical experience as an RN within the last 6 years, post-initial registration, and
- Successfully complete NMBA-approved postgraduate qualification or equivalent units of study leading to endorsement for scheduled medicines as a designated RN prescriber.
The scope of prescribing will align with each RN’s role, the clinical governance framework, the prescribing agreement, and relevant state and territory medicines legislation. Once endorsed, designated RN prescribers must also complete a six-month period of clinical mentorship with an authorised health practitioner.
Even though the this Registration standard took effect on 30 September 2025, there are no NMBA-approved units of study as yet. Applications for endorsement will be available when the standard is in effect and there are approved units of study (anticipated date late 2025). The first cohort of graduates from approved programs of study is expected from mid-2026.
The NMBA publishes all approved programs of study leading to general registration or endorsement on its website.
Please click HERE to access the following important documents:
- The Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines – designated registered nurse prescriber document, the
- Guidelines for registered nurses applying for and with the endorsement for scheduled medicines – designated registered nurse prescriber and the
- Fact sheet: Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines – designated registered nurse prescriber
Read the Ahpra media release announcing this change here. https://www.ahpra.gov.au/News/2025-09-30-More-access-to-prescribers.aspx