The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) has published the Registered Nurse Prescribing Accreditation Standards (the Standards), as approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), effective January 17, 2025. The new Standards mark another pivotal moment for Australia’s nursing profession, establishing the education requirements for the NMBA’s Endorsement for scheduled medicines – designated registered nurse prescriber (the Endorsement). As outlined by the NMBA here.  

Registered nurses (RN) who meet the requirements of the NMBA’s Endorsement will be able to prescribe Schedule 2,3,4, and 8 medicines in partnership with an authorised health practitioner, improving access to safe and timely healthcare.

Education providers seeking to deliver education programs leading to the Endorsement must ensure their education programs meet the requirements of the Standards. By providing a clear and nationally consistent framework, the Standards support the delivery of high-quality education programs that meet the evolving needs of Australia’s healthcare system.

A Collaboration Grounded in Evidence

The development of the Standards was a collaborative process, grounded in evidence with a comprehensive review and consultation process that included:

• Literature Review: ANMAC began by examining national and international research on nurse prescribing, ensuring the framework aligns with global best practices, patient safety, and healthcare quality.
• Stakeholder Consultations: Over two separate rounds, ANMAC engaged with nurses, midwives, regulatory bodies, educators, consumer groups, and other healthcare stakeholders. This collaborative approach helped shape the Standards that are robust, flexible, and able to meet Australia’s diverse healthcare needs.

Key elements of the new Standards

Education providers seeking to offer education programs that lead to the Endorsement must ensure their education programs meet the requirements of the Standards.  

Notable features include:

• Competency Alignment: Programs must clearly map teaching and assessment to the Prescribing Competencies Framework, ensuring graduates possess the knowledge, skills, and ethical grounding required for prescribing.
• Focus on Cultural Safety: Recognising Australia’s diverse communities, the standards highlight cultural safety, respectful communication, and inclusive practice - especially vital in rural, remote, and under-served areas.
• Governance and Accountability: Providers must demonstrate strong oversight of the education programs, including transparent admissions processes, robust quality controls, and dedicated resources to support students.
• Legal and Ethical Scope: RNs need to be educated and have the knowledge and understanding of legal and medicolegal principles and relevant legislative frameworks that enable designated RNs to prescribe in and an understanding of ethical and professional obligations of prescribing within the scope of designated registered nurse prescribing model.  

“The designated registered nurse prescribing endorsement, supported by these Accreditation Standards, marks a new era for nursing in Australia,” said ANMAC CEO Tanya Vogt. “It will enable appropriately educated and endorsed RNs to provide safe, quality and timely healthcare to the Australian public”

“The Board and staff of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) gratefully acknowledge the expertise, time and commitment contributed by each member of the Professional Reference Group (PRG), ANMAC staff, and stakeholders who guided the development of the Registered Nurse Prescribing Accreditation Standards 2025.”

About ANMAC

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) is an independent accrediting authority that works to protect the health and safety of the Australian community by developing accreditation standards for nursing and midwifery education programs. In partnership with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, government bodies, educational institutions, and healthcare providers, ANMAC ensures graduates are well-prepared to deliver safe, high-quality care in all clinical and community settings.