Overview

• The change takes effect Tuesday, allowing registered nurses to begin NMBA‑approved postgraduate training toward prescribing endorsement.
• To qualify, nurses must hold general registration, typically have three years of clinical experience, complete approved study, undertake a six‑month mentored placement and enter a formal prescribing agreement with an authorised practitioner.
• Once endorsed, nurses may prescribe Schedule 2, 3 and 4 medicines and, in some cases, Schedule 8 controlled drugs, depending on the terms of their prescribing agreement.
• The Australian Medical Association backs broader access but is pushing for tighter limits on high‑risk Schedule 8 medicines.
• Patients are expected to receive prescriptions from endorsed registered nurses from 2026, with several hundred nurses likely to start the program in the first year and many more eligible over time.