20/01/2026
To all Queen Street Medical patients
Changes to Prescription Lengths – Effective 1 February 2026
From 1 February 2026, changes to prescribing rules mean that some patients may be eligible to receive prescriptions for up to 12 months.
It is important to understand that not all patients will be eligible. Every doctor and every practice in New Zealand will apply these changes differently. A 12-month prescription will only be issued when your clinician believes it is safe and clinically appropriate.
Booking an appointment for longer prescriptions
To be considered for a 6 or 12 month prescription, you must book an appointment with your own GP to discuss whether this option is suitable for you.
Please note:
Attending this appointment does not guarantee that you will qualify for a longer prescription.
There will be a charge for this consultation, regardless of whether you qualify.
Your clinician will always decide what is safest for your health.
For many patients, 3 or 6 month prescriptions will remain the most appropriate option.
⚠️ This appointment is solely to discuss prescription length changes.
If you have other health concerns or multiple issues to discuss, you will need to book a separate appointment.
Important things to know
Only a limited number of medications are approved for 12 month prescribing.
If you take more than one medication, some may be eligible for 12 months while others are not. In these cases, all medications will continue to be prescribed together.
The more medications you take, the more monitoring is usually required, which may make you ineligible for 12 month prescribing.
An in-person review is required before any change can be made.
Until this review occurs, your prescriptions will continue on 3-monthly prescribing.
Pharmacies can still only dispense up to 3 months of medication at a time, even if a longer prescription is issued.
Are you eligible for 12-month prescribing?
You may be considered if:
Your health condition is stable
You do not require frequent monitoring (such as regular blood tests or blood pressure checks)
Your medication is approved for 12month prescribing
You agree to:
Attend a yearly in-person review
Complete required blood tests every 6 or 12 months, as advised.
If these requirements are not met, 12 month prescribing will stop, and your prescriptions will return to 3 monthly intervals.
📞 Contact us
If you have any questions, please contact our admin team:
Phone: 04 528 3048
Email: office@queenstreetmedical.nz
