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I heard on the grapevine that the NZ Government had recently passed legislation to allow prescribing priveleges for podiatrists to access a wide range of restricted drugs, following completion of postgrad training?

Is that the case? Can someone in NZ fill us in on the full story?


LuckyLisfranc

The NZ legislation web site contains the medicines act 1981 with a 2005 ammendment, that under the 105B. Regulations relating to designated prescribers appears to allow all registered health professionals with appropriate qualifications and approvals etc. to prescribe

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/libra...DEST_a1981-118

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Stephen Tucker
Eastern Health
Podiatry Manager

My location

Hi,
NZ pod board are currently in the process of seeking prescribing rights for pods. It is in the final stages but not yet approved. If approved, there will be a scope of practise for prescribing pods, and they will need to have the appropriate quals eg post grad dip

Michele

Hi there, any new on the priscribing rights for pods?

Hay Pods.
I have spoken to the Registration Board and it appears that Prescribing Right for Podiatrist are not that far away, AND ABOUT TIME TOO!!!

I am not sure of what further studies will be required but at least they are moving on it.

Good luck to those podiatrists seeking prescribing rights. Personally, I don't make anywhere enough money to warrant taking that sort of risk. It will be a case of when something goes wrong not if. I would be very interested to know just who is going to be expected to cover the increased risk this brings, i.e., increased professional indemnity cover. As a podiatrist who has no interest in uptaking prescribing rights I have no intention of subsidising those that do.
I am not being a pessimist with this issue. I just happen to believe we stand to lose much more than we could gain in our standing with general practitioners for example. A brush we will all be tarred with when the s**t inevitably hits the fan.

You are forgetting the gain in patient care and the standing of the profession amongst the public, who are the people who pay the bills.

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Stephen Tucker
Eastern Health
Podiatry Manager

My location

Interesting observation, but I respectfully disagree.

Most allied health professions are moving towards enhanced scope. eg nurse practitioners, radiographer reporting etc. Podiatrists in many western countries are drug prescribers. The WHO predicts there will be a monumental shortfall in health professionals over coming decades, and most governments are scrambling to remove the barriers to activities such as prescribing that were arbitrarily drawn up by governments and the medical monopoly in the 1930's.

The productivity gains in having access to a small cohort of relevant drugs (analgesics, antibiotics etc) will offset the enormous burden that the status quo will produce.

You can't tell me that having even just one single antibioitic available to you to treat ingrown toenail infections would not save you, your patients, and your health system an enormous amount of money over your career?

Whilst there will be some older podiatrists who will not be up for the extra study to incorporate drug prescribing into their practice, there are plenty that will; and when all new graduates come out doing so the Commonwealth countries would have evolved in the most significant step for the past 30 years...

You have every right not to do so though.

Yes, there will be prescribing errors, this is inevitable. But if a GP can access almost every prescription drug known to man, I am sure the humble podiatry profession can cope with 10 or 20.

LL

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Remember, it's just a foot.

Dear AGHawk

I do not know how much of the Podiatric Scope you cover in your practice, but if one practices a comprehensive Podiatric Medicine, you will always encounter this 'vacuum' of not being able to prescribe medication. Neither is our role within the health care should be to gain a "standing" with the general practitioners.

I do respect your opinion though, and some colleagues might also not like an idea of going back behind the desk to upgrade their pharmacology. But i believe Podiatry profession worldwide, should move towards a common goal, and prescription right is one of them.

Just my opinion.

Richard M - South Africa