Medicines go through an assessment and approval process before they can be supplied in New Zealand. This is to ensure they meet quality standards and are safe and effective.

If a medicine has not been through the approval process by Medsafe it is an unapproved medicine. There are limits on supplying unapproved medicines under the Medicines Act 1981. Section 29 of the Act provides an exemption for medical practitioners to obtain unapproved medicines.

As some approved medicines become unavailable in New Zealand, unapproved medicines are brought in as substitutes. Nurse practitioners, as authorised prescribers in the Act, cannot obtain these medicines as Section 29 does not apply to them.

This Bill amends the principal Act to extend the exemption in section 29 to all authorised prescribers.