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February 4th, 2026

12 month Prescriptions

From 1 February 2026, the maximum amount of medicine that can be supplied on one prescription is changed from 3 months to 12 months.

It’s important to remember that even if you get a 12-month prescription, this doesn’t mean you won’t need to see your GP. Having regular check-ups are still important to make sure your treatment is safe and working well.

If you have a long-term health condition, and your condition is stable, meaning your symptoms are under control and your treatment is working well, your healthcare provider may decide it’s safe and appropriate for your medicine to be prescribed for 6 -12 months.

If your condition isn’t stable and your treatment may need to change, you won’t get a 12-month prescription as your GP needs to review and adjust your treatment safely.

Ultimately, your GP will make the final decision about whether a 12 month prescription is appropriate for you.

 

These prescriptions will not be issued for 12 months

  • controlled medicines (eg opioids, stimulants) 
  • medicines taken “only as needed”  
  • medicines that need monitoring within 12 months (eg blood tests, blood pressure) 
  • if your condition or medicine dose has changed in the past 6 months 

 

Collecting Scripts from the Pharmacy

You will not be able to get a 12-month supply all at once. If you have a prescription for 12 months of medicine, you can collect a 3-month supply of medicine from your pharmacy every 3 months.

Special Authorities

Some Special Authorities are valid for your lifetime, but others are only valid for a limited time. When your Special Authority expires, your prescriber will need to apply to renew the Special Authority.

For 12-month prescriptions, your Special Authority may expire before the prescription does. If this happens, you will need your prescriber to renew the Special Authority before you can receive further funded repeats.

 

For more information

Please refer to the Royal New Zealand General Practitioners statement on 12 months prescriptions here: https://www.rnzcgp.org.nz/documents/657/12-month-prescribing-position-statement-NOV-2025.pdf