A group of New Zealand nurses has been authorised to independently prescribe medication to their patients, in a first for the country.

The registered nurses, practising in diabetes health in four North Island regions, now join doctors and nurses practitioners in having the green light to prescribe.

Health Minister Tony Ryall announced the move, which will enable the nurses to prescribe a limited range of medicines to their patients, under the guidance of a medical practitioner.

"The number of people with diabetes in New Zealand has almost doubled in the past 10 years and better management of diabetes is one of our key priorities," he said.

"We need to develop smarter and more practical ways of utilising our health workforce to deliver these services, and innovative ways like this are the way forward."

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation has cautiously welcomed the announcement.

NZNO professional nursing adviser Charlotte Thompson said the demonstration would undoubtedly improve the care of people with diabetes.

"These nurses are already deeply involved in the care of these people," she said.

"Being able to prescribe medication for them will be a very positive move in terms of improving their access to health care - they won’t have to go to the doctor so often - and their health outcomes."

But Ms Thompson said the organisation was against a narrow, disease-based approach to nurse prescribing.

"NZNO believes legislation should be changed to enable all nurses who meet the Nursing Council’s requirements to prescribe," she said.

"International evidence strongly indicates nurse prescribing is safe, improves patient access to medicines and health outcomes and reduces doctors’ workloads.

"Rather than a piecemeal approach, NZNO favours an approach where all nurses who had met the Nursing Council’s requirements, which are designed to protect public safety, could prescribe.

"This would greatly increase New Zealanders’ access to affordable health care."