Podiatrist Prescribers Will Increase Access To Medicines
Regulations that will soon allow podiatrists to prescribe certain medicines have been approved, giving patients with painful foot and leg conditions better access to healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced.
'Enabling podiatrists to be able to prescribe medicines is all part of our Government's commitment to ensuring Kiwis have access to timely, quality healthcare in their communities,' Mr Brown says.
'Podiatrists play a critical role in managing a range of conditions affecting feet and lower limbs, including symptoms of chronic health conditions like diabetes, which impact many New Zealanders.
'New regulations will give podiatrists the authority to prescribe medicines relating to their role, enabling patients to have more direct access to the medicines for these conditions.
'This means podiatrists will join other health professions that have designated prescriber rights, including specially trained nurses, dieticians, and pharmacists. Medicines will include some oral painkillers and oral antibiotics, and some topical antifungals, topical steroids, and local anaesthetics.
'Podiatrists usually work in community and rural settings. They are particularly important for helping manage diabetes or health conditions of older people, as people with diabetes and older people are vulnerable to nerve and circulation problems, both of which can lead to foot and leg sores and infections.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
'These changes will allow podiatrists to prescribe medicines directly, so patients can access the treatments they need without requiring extra GP appointments for the same condition.
'The Government has also recently announced changes to prescriber regulations to give nurse practitioners and other professions increased prescribing rights within their scope of practice.
'By expanding access to medicines and enabling health professionals to get on with their jobs, we can make it easier and quicker for people to get the care they need in their communities, closer to home,' Mr Brown says.
Notes:
New regulations enabling podiatrist prescribers were published in the New Zealand Gazette on 17 April 2025.
The Podiatrists Board will develop a scope of practice and training requirements for podiatrist prescribers. Podiatrists who have current annual practising certificates will be eligible to train as prescribers, with the first to undertake training in 2026.
The first podiatrist prescribers are likely to begin working from late 2026 to early 2027.
Designated Podiatrist prescribers will be able to prescribe medicines specified by the Director-General of Health through a notice in the New Zealand Gazette. These medicines will include some oral painkillers and oral antibiotics, and some topical antifungals, topical steroids, and local anaesthetics.
These changes bring New Zealand in line with other countries, including Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
4 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Middle ground needed in healthcare dispute for the sake of public
Health NZ and the Government are certainly aware of this, but reaching a solution is not as simple as agreeing to the demands of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO). Across the Government's Budget, Health NZ is competing with the funding needs of housing, education, transport and more, all amid a cost-of-living crisis for the average Kiwi. Health NZ offered nurses a 3% pay rise over 27 months, plus two lump sum payments of $325. The NZNO sought a 5% pay rise over two years, along with $2000 flat rate increases for senior positions. The union also sought to restore a tikanga Māori allowance. ASMS executive director Sarah Dalton earlier told the Herald hospital specialists sought a 12% pay rise but were being offered an increase of less than 1% per year. Health NZ has described its offers to nurses and senior medical staff as 'fair'. Dalton acknowledged at the time that 12% may not be achievable but said the dispute may not be settled without a better offer. There is room for Health NZ to manoeuvre between 1% and 12%. Dalton's acknowledgment shows that compromise, at least where ASMS is concerned, is not impossible. Health Minister Simeon Brown estimated 4300 procedures, such as hip and knee operations, were delayed because of the 24-hour strike on May 1. Wait times for elective surgeries have already ballooned since the Covid pandemic, and the wait for specialist appointments and operations has continued to grow in many regions. In February, the Herald reported all of the country's hospital emergency departments were failing to assess patients with 'imminently' or 'potentially' life-threatening conditions on time. Striking doctors and nurses have rightfully pointed out staffing issues, with Health NZ recognising another 4100 nurses were needed in the next decade, on top of 2250 nursing vacancies, despite half of nursing graduates not getting job offers from Health NZ last year. Another 3450 doctors were needed in the next decade to keep up with demand. Concessions are needed from both Health NZ and its striking staff. Sign up to the Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
9 hours ago
- Scoop
Unlabelled GE Food Leaves Consumers In The Dark
Aotearoa New Zealand – Consumers have just lost a fundamental right to informed choice about the food they're eating, says the Soil & Health Association. New Zealand Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard and his eight Australian state counterparts have approved a decision to allow genetically engineered food ingredients to enter unlabelled into the food chain of both countries. 'This is an alarming and unscientific move that removes our right to know what's in our food,' says Charles Hyland, chair of the Soil & Health Association. 'New Zealanders want to know what they're eating, and be able to avoid things they don't want.' 'Allowing unlabelled GE ingredients that have no novel DNA ignores the fact that changes can and do occur as a result of all types of genetic engineering – whether it introduces novel DNA or not.' Gene edited cattle in the USA were heralded as a success and claimed to have no novel DNA. However it was then found that bacterial DNA had been introduced, conferring antibiotic resistance, and the cattle were withdrawn from the market. Similar situations could happen with food that supposedly has no novel DNA. Our knowledge of the risks to health from GE foods is still very limited, and there is very little long-term independent research to draw from. 'What happens if there is a health issue from GE food? How could we pinpoint it to that GE food? If it's unlabelled, authorities won't be able to trace it or issue a food recall.' The onus will now be on consumers to ask retailers and food companies whether there are any GE ingredients in their food. 'The best ways to avoid GE food ingredients are to eat organic food, grow your own, favour whole foods and avoid ultra-processed foods.'
NZ Herald
20 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Russian adoptee's PTSD claim denied by ACC over residency rules
A Russian child who was adopted by New Zealanders and suffered physical abuse in his home country has had his claim for PTSD as an adult declined. Despite a High Court and District Court ruling the man was eligible for mental health cover, the Court of Appeal overturned their rulings,
