Direct to consumer advertising position statement

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription medications causes considerable public harm through misinformation and the stimulation of demand for unsuitable or unnecessary, costly treatment, leading to inappropriate prescribing. The College advocates that legislation should be amended to prioritise the protection of public health over the interests of private industry: DTCA of prescription medications should be prohibited. This position statement was publised in March 2017.

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Position statements

Smoking and vaping

To effectively reduce the harm from tobacco and vaping, the College has developed positions outlining how to protect our rangatahi, support people who smoke or used to smoke and protect all people from the potential harm from vaping.

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Position statements

Medicinal cannabis prescribing

The regulatory regime for medicinal cannabis in New Zealand changed in 2020 to make it easier for specialist GPs and other registered medical practitioners to prescribe cannabis medicines and products. This statement provides a position for our members to review and refer to before making clinical judgements about medicinal cannabis prescribing.

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Position statements

Nurse practitioners’ contribution to general practice teams

This statement clarifies the difference between nurse practitioners and specialist general practitioners (GPs) within their respective disciplines.

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