Period of Supply (POS) Field
12 Month Prescribing — Phase 2 | Effective 1 July 2026
What is the Period of Supply field?
The Period of Supply (POS) is the total number of days that a prescribed quantity of medicine is intended to cover, counting the initial dispensing plus all repeats. It appears on the dispensing screen in the updated system.
How is it calculated?
The system calculates POS automatically from:
Quantity dispensed
Dose and frequency
Number of repeats
Example: 1 tablet daily, quantity=90, no repeats = 90 days POS. The same dose with 360 quantity = 360 days POS.
When does it default to zero?
If the dose or frequency information is missing, the system cannot calculate a POS.
This does not prevent dispensing, but the value will need to be entered manually before claiming.
Can the field be edited?
Yes — you can enter or override the POS value at any time. Once manually edited:
The system will not recalculate POS if quantity, dose/frequency, or repeat count subsequently changes.
Your manually entered value is retained until you change it again.
Note: To restore auto-calculation, clear the script details and re-enter the information.
The POS value does not affect repeat expiry. Repeat expiry will default to one calendar year from the Prescribed Date, in accordance with the regulatory changes effective from 1 February 2026. You can edit the repeat expiry if required.
When does POS affect claims?
From 1 July 2026, POS is included in every claim submitted to Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. All pharmacies are required to ensure POS is entered correctly for any dispensing on or after this date. Prescriptions dispensed before 1 July are not affected.
What does HNZ use POS for?
POS is used to calculate Case Mix Service Fee payments for 12-month prescriptions.
Under the 12-month prescribing policy (in effect from 1 February 2026), prescriptions can now cover up to 12 months of supply. For the purposes of Case Mix fees, a prescription with a POS longer than 90 days is treated as multiple three-month prescriptions. The fee is calculated by dividing the total POS by 90.
Prescription example | Period of Supply | Case Mix fee units |
|---|---|---|
1 tablet daily, qty 90, no repeats | 90 days | 1 × three-month prescription |
1 tablet daily, qty 180, no repeats | 180 days | 2 × three-month prescriptions |
1 tablet daily, qty 360, no repeats | 360 days | 4 × three-month prescriptions |
HNZ will publish a detailed information pack explaining how Case Mix Service Fees are calculated under the new rules. This will be distributed to the sector in the coming weeks.
For questions about how POS is entered in your system, contact the RxOne support team. For questions about Case Mix payments, refer to the HNZ information pack when available.