Application guidelines for a Director-General's Waiver to allow Electronic Prescribing

While the electronic transmission of prescriptions is not permitted under the Medicines Regulations 1984 or the Electronic Transactions Act 2002, the Director-General of Health can issue a waiver on a case-by-case basis. On 1 August 2011, the waiver provision in the Medicines Regulations 1984 was updated.

A waiver application must include a business case and project plan setting out the timeframes for implementation.  Please send all applications to  enquiries@ithealthboard.health.nz.

The attached guidelines (17KB, PDF) set out the requirements and information a waiver application must meet. They include:

• consistency with the National Health IT Plan and other electronic prescribing and safer use of medicines initiatives
• security and authentication requirements
• the identification and rationale for any inconsistencies with legislative requirements, contract/funding requirements and/or the Pharmaceutical Schedule.