1	Title
2	Commencement
3	Principal regulations
4	Regulation 44A amended (Administration of vaccines in approved immunisation programmes)
5	Schedule 1AA amended
	Schedule New Part 2 inserted into Schedule 1AA
	Explanatory note
	Administrative Information

Regulations

1 Title

These regulations are the Medicines (Administration and Supply of Medicines in Approved Immunisation Programmes) Amendment Regulations 2025.

2 Commencement

These regulations come into force on 19 December 2025.

3 Principal regulations

These regulations amend the Medicines Regulations 1984.

4 Regulation 44A amended (Administration of vaccines in approved immunisation programmes)

(1)

Replace the heading to regulation 44A with “Administration and supply of vaccines and other medicines in approved immunisation programmes”.

(2)

In regulation 44A(1), after “administer”, insert “or supply” in each place.

(3)

In regulation 44A(1), replace “that is a prescription medicine,” with “or other prescription medicine”.

(4)

After regulation 44A(1), insert:

(1A)

Any medical practitioner or other person who is authorised by the Director-General or a Medical Officer of Health in accordance with this regulation to administer or supply a restricted or pharmacy-only medicine for the purposes of an approved immunisation programme may supply or administer that medicine for those purposes without complying with section 18(1) of the Act.

(5)

In regulation 44A(2), replace “to administer a vaccine for the purposes of an approved immunisation programme” with “for the purposes of subclause (1) or (1A)”.

5 Schedule 1AA amended

In Schedule 1AA,—

(a)

insert the Part set out in the Schedule of these regulations as the last Part; and

(b)

make all necessary consequential amendments.

Schedule New Part 2 inserted into Schedule 1AA

r 5

Part 2 Provisions relating to Medicines (Administration and Supply of Medicines in Approved Immunisation Programmes) Amendment Regulations 2025

3 Interpretation

In this Part,—

commencement date means the date on which the Medicines (Administration and Supply of Medicines in Approved Immunisation Programmes) Amendment Regulations 2025 come into force

existing authorisation means an authorisation given before the commencement date under regulation 44A to administer, for the purposes of an approved immunisation programme, a vaccine otherwise than pursuant to a prescription.

4 Existing authorisations

A medical practitioner or other person who has an existing authorisation is treated as having been authorised to administer or supply, for the purposes of an approved immunisation programme,—

(a)

a vaccine or other prescription medicine otherwise than pursuant to a prescription; and

(b)

a restricted or pharmacy-only medicine without complying with section 18(1) of the Act.

Nicola Purvis,
Acting Clerk of the Executive Council.

Explanatory note

This note is not part of the regulations but is intended to indicate their general effect.

These regulations, which come into force on 19 December 2025, amend the Medicines Regulations 1984 (the principal regulations).

Regulation 44A of the principal regulations allows the Director-General of Health or a Medical Officer of Health to authorise a medical practitioner or other person to administer vaccines without a prescription for the purposes of an approved immunisation programme, subject to conditions.

These regulations amend regulation 44A to allow a medical practitioner or other person to also be authorised to administer or supply a restricted, pharmacy-only, or prescription medicine (such as adrenaline). They may do so without a prescription and without meeting the requirements in section 18(1) of the Medicines Act 1981 for supply if required for the purposes of an approved immunisation programme.

Issued under the authority of the Legislation Act 2019.

Date of notification in Gazette: 18 December 2025.

These regulations are administered by the Ministry of Health.

Medicines (Administration and Supply of Medicines in Approved Immunisation Programmes) Amendment Regulations 2025