16 OCTOBER 2014 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 127 3569

• researching and evaluating information and providing evidence-based advice and recommendations on medicines and medicine-related health issues.

Pharmacist Scope of Practice

The practice of pharmacy is necessarily broad and is wider than pharmacists working directly with patients, given that such roles influence clinical practice and public safety. In a clinical role, the pharmacist acts as a medicines manager, providing patient-centred medication therapy management, health improvement and disease prevention services, usually in a collaborative environment. Pharmacists ensure safe and quality use of medicines and optimise health outcomes by contributing to patient assessment and to the selection, prescribing, monitoring and evaluation of medicine therapy.

The practice of pharmacy may include, but is not limited to:

• the custody, preparation and dispensing of medicines and pharmaceutical products;
• the selection and provision of non-prescription medicine therapies and therapeutic aids;
• health promotion, including health screening;
• administration of medicines, including injectable medicines;
• researching and evaluating information and providing evidence-based advice and recommendations on medicines and medicine-related health issues;
• teaching and advising;
• policy development;
• management;
• manufacturing; and
• auditing.

Pharmacist Prescriber Scope of Practice

Pharmacist Prescribers have specialised clinical, pharmacological and pharmaceutical knowledge, skills and understanding relevant to their area of prescribing practice. This allows them to provide individualised medicines management services, including the prescribing of medicines to patients across a range of healthcare settings and models.

Pharmacist Prescribers work in a collaborative health team environment with other healthcare professionals and are not the primary diagnostician. They can write a prescription for a patient in their care to initiate or modify therapy (including discontinuation or maintenance of therapy originally initiated by another prescriber). They can also provide a wide range of assessment and treatment interventions which includes, but is not limited to:

• Ordering and interpreting investigation (including laboratory and related tests).
• Assessing and monitoring a patient’s response to therapy.
• Providing education and advice to a patient on their medicine therapy.

The Pharmacist Prescriber must prescribe within the limits of their professional expertise and competence (both clinical and cultural) and ethical codes of practice. They are responsible and accountable for the care they provide.

Qualifications Prescribed for Registration in a Scope of Practice

1. Registration in the Intern Pharmacist Scope of Practice

Pursuant to section 12 of the Act, the following qualifications are prescribed for registration in the intern pharmacist scope of practice:

(a) Bachelor of Pharmacy, University of Auckland; or
(b) Bachelor of Pharmacy, National School of Pharmacy (Otago); or
(c) Australian pharmacy degrees from Schools of Pharmacy holding either full or conditional accreditation from the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC).

2. Registration in the Pharmacist Scope of Practice

Pursuant to section 12 of the Act, the following qualifications are prescribed for registration in the pharmacist scope of practice:

(i) New Zealand and Australian Pharmacy Graduates

(a) Bachelor of Pharmacy, University of Auckland; or
(b) Bachelor of Pharmacy, National School of Pharmacy (Otago); or
(c) Australian pharmacy degrees from Schools of Pharmacy accredited by the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC); and
(d) successful completion of the Intern Training Programme of the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand (Inc); and
(e) a pass in the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand (PCNZ) assessments as follows:

– Written Examination; and
– Assessment Centre.

(ii) Australian Registered Pharmacists – Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition

(a) Current registration with any one of the Pharmacy Boards of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Australian Commonwealth Territories, Northern Territories, Pharmacists Board of Queensland, or Pharmacy Council of Western Australia; and
(b) successful completion of the PCNZ Law and Ethics interview.

(iii) Recognised Equivalent Qualification Route (REQR) pharmacists

Holders of a pharmacy qualification from a country or jurisdiction recognised by the PCNZ (currently recognised countries are United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and the United States of America):

• in which there is a legislative basis for registration/licensure of pharmacists;