Articles tagged with Medicines Act

Paramedics to Gain Prescribing Authority to Boost Community Healthcare Access

1 month ago | 1137 views

Paramedics in New Zealand will be authorized to prescribe certain medicines, enabling more community-based care and reducing pressure on emergency departments, especially benefiting rural and remote areas. This change reflects the evolving role of paramedics beyond emergency response, supported by new training programs and regulatory adjustments under the Medicines Act 1981. The Ministry of Health is consulting on the specific medicines paramedics may prescribe and developing the necessary regulations and scope of practice to implement this policy.

Tags: Simeon Brown paramedics Medicines Act 1981 Ministry of Health Paramedic Council emergency departments prescribing authority healthcare access New Zealand government Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977

New Safeguards for Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Analogues Prescribing in NZ

7 months ago | 649 views

The Cabinet has agreed to introduce new safeguards on prescribing gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues, restricting their use for new patients with gender dysphoria or incongruence until further clinical trial results are available, while maintaining access for existing patients and those with other medical conditions. This precautionary approach follows a lack of high-quality evidence on the benefits and risks of these treatments for gender dysphoria and aligns New Zealand’s regulations with those of the UK and other countries. The government emphasizes ensuring treatments are safe, evidence-based, and accessible through continued support and centralized youth gender services.

Tags: Simeon Brown gender dysphoria Ministry of Health New Zealand United Kingdom Medicines Act endometriosis prostate cancer