Designated registered nurse prescribing

Designated RN prescribing enhances healthcare delivery by expanding nurses’ scope of practice. Specific benefits include:

• Improved consumer access to prescription medicines especially in primary care, aged care, and in regional, rural and remote areas.
• Increased consumer access to supported innovative nurse led models of care that optimise use of safe nurse prescribing.
• Timely, effective, efficient, and safe healthcare delivery with efficiencies and reduced cost for both the healthcare system and consumers.
• Expanded use of nurses’ knowledge, skills and capability leading to strengthened nursing roles, enhanced job satisfaction and workforce retention.
• Creation of a capable workforce with capacity to facilitate flexible, agile and safe service delivery.

To apply for the registration standard Endorsement for scheduled medicines – designated registered nurse prescriber, the RN must be able to demonstrate:

1. current general registration as a registered nurse in Australia with no conditions or undertakings relevant to the endorsement.
2. completion of 3years full-time post-initial registration clinical experience (5,000 hours) within the past 6 years.
3. successful completion of:
   1. NMBA-approved units of study (AQF 8) leading to endorsement for scheduled medicines as a designated RN prescriber, or
   2. Units of study that are equivalent to the NMBA-approved units of study leading to endorsement for scheduled medicines as a designated RN prescriber.

Upon endorsement, the designated registered nurse prescriber will only be able to prescribe if they have:

• authority granted under the relevant drugs and poisons legislation in the state or territory in which they practice.
• an active prescribing agreement with an authorised health practitioner/s.
• undertaken or completed a 6-month period of clinical mentorship with an authorised health practitioner/s.
• signed approval from their organisation/employer.

Examples of authorised health practitioners include medical practitioners and nurse practitioners.

The Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office provides a range of scholarships for nursing and midwifery students in Western Australia.

Scholarships will be provided to eligible Registered Nurses wishing to complete courses of study leading to eligibility with the NMBA for endorsement as a designated RN prescriber.

For further scholarship information please email nmo.scholarships@health.wa.gov.au

Implementation of designated RN prescribing requires a nationally coordinated and consistent framework to ensure all designated RN prescribers meet the same education, training and competency standards. This will maintain high levels of safety and quality in prescribing practices.

The Commonwealth established an Implementation Oversight Group (IOG) to ensure strong governance and to direct and support the harmonised national roll-out of designated RN Prescribing.

Membership of the IOG includes representation from jurisdictional and commonwealth CNMOs, the NMBA, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Council (ANMAC). 

In collaboration with key stakeholders, and supported by jurisdictional project leads, the IOG meets monthly to oversee a nationally consistent approach to implementation principles for designated RN prescribing by:

• managing and mitigating risks and issues
• advising on draft materials and processes
• supporting clinical governance
• maintaining key stakeholder relationships
• ensuring prescribing practices align with State and Territory drugs and poisons legislation

The IOG will lead centralised reporting of reform progress via quarterly implementation updates to the Health Workforce Taskforce.

Please see below communiques released by the IOG:

• December 2025 communique (PDF 197KB)

The WA CNMO is leading the state implementation of the standard in collaboration and consultation with key stakeholders and subject matter experts including health services, regulators, education providers and professional bodies.

Project implementation documentation has been developed, and a phased implementation of designated RN prescribing is proposed across sectors. Learnings from each stage will be evaluated to inform ongoing adjustments.

Planning and preparation includes:

Legislative amendments

• The WA Medicine and Poisons Act 2014 does not require amendment.
• The CNMO is working with the Department of Health Chief Pharmacist to review and amend the Medicines and Poisons Regulations 2016 to accommodate designated Registered Nurse prescribing.
• The CNMO and Chief Pharmacist have addressed key principles of the Prescribing Agreement to facilitate safe prescribing.

WA Designated RN Prescribing Advisory Committee

• The Designated RN Prescribing Advisory Committee is a multi-sector advisory committee to direct, guide and lead implementation across all sectors in the state.

WA Health Designated RN Prescribing Working Party

• The Designated RN Prescribing Working Party provides strategic advice and direction to operationalise implementation of designated RN prescribing in WA Health Service Providers.

Standardised documentation

In partnership with other jurisdictions, the WA CNMO is co-developing:

• a clinical mentorship agreement template
• an authorised prescriber partnership agreement template
• clinical governance frameworks
• an implementation toolkit.

Policy amendments

Health Service Providers in all sectors will be responsible for updating local policies to remove barriers to designated RN prescribing.

• Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines – designated registered nurse prescriber
• Guidelines for registered nurses applying for and with the endorsement for scheduled medicines – designated registered nurse prescriber
• Fact Sheet – Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines – designated registered nurse prescriber

• Registered Nurse Prescribing Accreditation Standards 2025
• Registered Nurse Prescribing Accreditation Standards 2025 Evidence Guide

What is significant about designated RN prescribing?

Designated RN prescribing is a regulated model of care which marks the most significant change to nursing practice in more than two decades.

Designated RN prescribing represents a natural progression of the RN role. Globally, nurse prescribing has been recognised for over 50 years as a safe and complementary practice.

Why is the Commonwealth Government supporting this change?

The change to RN prescribing is in strong alignment with Government objectives to ensure healthcare is suitable, equitable and accessible for all Australians.

How will designated RN prescribing impact patients?

Empowering RNs to gain prescribing endorsement creates a new pathway for patients to access medicines safely and effectively, while improving access to essential healthcare services and easing pressures on acute and primary care settings - particularly vulnerable populations and those living in regional, rural and remote communities.

Resources will be posted here as they are progressed.