Registered Nurses in Australia Gain Prescribing Rights

Can nurses really prescribe medications in Australia now? The answer is yes, but with important conditions.

On 30 September 2025, a major change to nursing regulation officially came into effect. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) introduced a new registration standard that allows registered nurses (RNs) to apply for endorsement as a prescriber.

What This Means

For the first time in Australia, eligible RNs will be able to prescribe certain medications specifically Schedule 2, 3, 4 and 8 medicines provided they have:

• Completed an approved prescribing education program

• Met the clinical experience requirements

• Applied for and received endorsement from the NMBA

Not Independent Prescribing (Yet)

Unlike nurse practitioners, endorsed RNs will not prescribe completely on their own. The new system introduces a “partnership prescribing model”, where RNs prescribe medicines in collaboration with an authorised prescriber such as a medical doctor or nurse practitioner.

This means that while RNs will have expanded scope, prescribing will occur within a team-based, supervised framework.

Why This Matters?

Australia faces significant workforce shortages and increasing healthcare demands, especially in rural and regional areas. Allowing trained RNs to prescribe under partnership arrangements is expected to:

• Improve patient access to timely medicines

• Reduce delays in care, especially in underserved areas

• Strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration in health teams

Although the policy is live as of September 2025, its impact will be gradual. The first cohort of RNs is expected to complete prescribing training by mid-2026, meaning it may take some time before patients see endorsed RNs actively prescribing.

The Australian College of Nursing described the reform as one of the biggest generational shifts in nursing regulation in decades, moving nursing closer to models already adopted in the UK, Canada, and New Zealand.

In summary: Nurses in Australia can prescribe from September 30, 2025, but only if they undergo the required training, gain NMBA endorsement, and prescribe within a partnership model. This is not a blanket prescribing right for all nurses, but it marks a historic step in broadening the nursing scope of practice