Standing Orders


The Medicines Management Group Northland (MMG-N) is a team of Te Tai Tokerau clinicians who develop and maintain a set of Standing Orders (SO). Each Standing Order is reviewed annually.

A standing order is a written instruction issued by a medical practitioner, dentist, nurse practitioner or optometrist. It authorizes a specified person or class of people (e.g. paramedics, registered nurses) who do not have prescribing rights to administer and/or supply specified medicines and some controlled drugs. The intention is for standing orders to be used to improve patients’ timely access to medicines; for example, by authorizing a paramedic in an emergency or a registered nurse in a primary health care setting.

~ Ministry of Health 2016

Mahitahi Hauora is proud to partner with the Medicines Management Group Northland (MMG-N), a team of Te Tai Tokerau clinicians who develop and maintain a set of Standing Orders (SO). Each Standing Order is reviewed annually.

Suggest a new standing order.

Use of the MMG-N Standing Orders is free, but all users must demonstrate competency and understanding of SO procedures before receiving access.

For Practice Managers and Clinical Leads

To access the MMG-N Standing Orders for your clinic or organisation, you will need:

  • Authorized Prescriber(s) to oversee nurse use of SOs
  • Nurses who want to use standing orders
  • A policy for SO use in your place of work
  • A secure, locked storage area for medicines
  • A partner pharmacy
  • A standing orders folder containing:

Once these are in place, or if you would like guidance on this process, attend an MMG-N Standing Orders Workshop from the Upcoming Events page.

If there are currently no workshops available please submit your details to register interest.

For Nurses

If your workplace is not yet connected with MMG-N, speak first with your Practice Manager or Clinical Lead. If your workplace is already connected, follow these steps:

  1. Complete Standing Orders Training (MMG-N workshop*, Online Training, or workplace-based training)
  2. Register for the Standing Orders test. You will be emailed a link.
  3. Complete the test. After review you will receive a certificate and may be contacted to discuss some of your answers.
  4. Sign off on the Standing Orders you will use in your role.

*If there are no workshops available please submit your details to register interest.

For Authorised Prescribers

If you are an Authorised Prescriber you do not need to take the test to access MMG-N's standing orders. Request Access to MMG-N Standing Orders.

Creating Your Own Standing Orders

MMG-N provides ready-to-use, up-to-date standing orders to reduce your workload.

If you would prefer to develop your own, these resources could help:

MMG-N logo