12 Month Prescriptions February 2026

Regulation Changes

Effective for prescriptions dated from 1 February 2026 onwards

· Maximum supply: Prescribers can issue prescriptions for up to 12 months if clinically appropriate and safe.

· For dispensing purposes, a 12-month supply period is a maximum of 360 days’ supply.

· First dispensing: Must occur within 3 calendar months of the prescription date (legal and funding requirement).

· Repeats: May be dispensed up to 12 calendar months from the prescription date.

Example: Prescription written 1 Feb 2026 → repeats may be dispensed until 31 Jan 2027.

· Legal limit: No repeats may be dispensed more than 12 months after the prescription date. Delays in first dispensing may reduce total supply.

Note: These changes do not apply to controlled drugs.

Special Authority expiries

· If the first dispensing occurs while the Special Authority (SA) is valid, repeats may be dispensed to complete up to three months’ funded supply or up to three months from the first dispensing date, even if collected after the SA has expired.

· Any additional funded supply beyond this period requires a renewed Special Authority.

See the Special Authority rule chart below.

Repeat Dispensings

· Repeat dispensings will be funded when the previous supply has run out, two-thirds of the expected time between dispensings has passed, or two-thirds of the previous supply has been used.

· Dispensing may occur earlier if the supply has been lost or damaged, the dose or frequency has changed, or another valid reason applies

For any questions, e-mail enquiries@pharmac.govt.nz

What is not changing

· The maximum quantity that can legally be supplied at one time remains three months (six months for oral contraceptives), including stat dispensing of repeats.

· There are no changes for controlled drugs, including opioids, ADHD stimulant medicines, and benzodiazepines; the Misuse of Drugs Act and related regulations remain in effect.

· The prescription co-payment continues to be charged once per prescription item, at first dispensing only.

· Prescription co-payment exemptions remain unchanged (e.g., patients under 14 or 65 years and older).

· Eligibility rules for the Prescription Subsidy Card (PSC) remain unchanged.

For RxOne updates to support 12 month prescriptions, please see:

https://support-hs.atlassian.net/wiki/x/B4CJLw

Special Authority rule chart

Health New Zealand|Te Whatu Ora - 12 month prescriptions Guidance