Notice
A. Title and Commencement
This notice is given pursuant to sections 11 and 12 of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (“Act”) and comes into effect on 1 August 2026.
B. Revocation
This notice replaces all previous Podiatrist Board Scopes of Practice Notices.
Explanatory Note
Under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003, the Podiatrists Board of New Zealand (“Board”) is required to describe the scopes of practice for podiatrists in New Zealand and prescribe the qualifications for each scope of practice.
These prescribed qualifications will vary between the different scopes of practice and in some cases the Board will require a combination of a qualification, and additional training, or approved experience. In such cases, the podiatrist will be required to meet all these requirements before being recognised as having the “prescribed qualification”.
To be able to practise podiatry in New Zealand, a registered podiatrist must hold a current practising certificate. A practising podiatrist must also meet any ongoing recertification or competence programme requirements set by the Board. Recertification and competence programmes are scope-specific programmes, undertaken while in practice and designed to ensure that podiatrists maintain the required standard of competence within their scopes of practice.
Following a consultation process, this notice includes the new additional scope of practice of podiatrist prescriber and associated prescribed qualifications, following the publication of the Medicines (Designated Prescriber – Podiatrists) Regulations 2025, made on 14 April 2025, pursuant to section 105 of the Medicines Act 1981.
This notice therefore provides the current complete list of the scopes of practice within which podiatrists may practise in New Zealand, and the associated prescribed qualifications.
A Consistency Accountability Statement (CAS) has been published in accordance with the Regulatory Standards Act 2025.
Dated at Wellington this 8 June 2026.
Sandra Gale, Chief Executive and Registrar, Podiatrists Board of New Zealand | Te Poari Tiaki Waewae O Aotearoa.
Pursuant to section 11 of the Act, the Podiatrists Board of New Zealand | Te Poari Tiaki Waewae O Aotearoa specifies four scopes of practice as follows:
1. Scope of Practice – Podiatrist
A registered primary health care practitioner (including those previously registered as a chiropodist) who utilises medical, physical, palliative and surgical means other than those prescribed in the Podiatric Surgeon scope of practice, to provide diagnostic, preventative and rehabilitative treatment of conditions affecting the feet and lower limbs.
Qualification
A Bachelor of Health Science in Podiatry from an accredited New Zealand University or a National Diploma in Podiatry or Chiropody from the Central Institute of Technology or equivalent overseas qualification as determined by the Podiatrists Board.
2. Scope of Practice – Podiatric Surgeon
A registered primary health care practitioner who holds the scope of practice of Podiatrist and is further qualified to perform foot surgery by way of sharp toe nail wedge resection; surgical correction of lesser digital deformities affecting the phalanges, metatarsals and associated structures; surgical corrections of deformities affecting the first toe, first metatarsal and associated structures; surgical correction of deformities of the metatarsus, mid-tarsus, rear foot and associated structures; surgical correction and removal of pathological subcutaneous structures such as tendentious and nervous tissues and other connective soft tissue masses of the foot.
(The Podiatrists Board does not approve of any Podiatric Surgeon performing any procedure beyond their competence, training and qualifications).
Qualification
A Post Graduate qualification in Podiatric Surgery as determined by the Podiatrists Board or equivalent overseas qualification.
3. Scope of Practice – Podiatrist Prescriber
A registered primary health practitioner who holds the scope of practice of Podiatrist and is further qualified to prescribe medicines within a Specified Prescription Medicines List (SPML). Podiatrist Prescribers are designated prescribers and may only prescribe within the limits of their scope of practice, competence, training, and qualifications.
Qualification
A postgraduate level qualification in prescribing from an accredited New Zealand Education Provider, approved by the Podiatrists Board of New Zealand.
Podiatrist Prescribers must complete a period of supervised practice determined by the Podiatrists Board.
4. Scope of Practice – Visiting Podiatrist Educator/Presenter
A visiting registered Podiatrist who qualifies for the scope of practice of Podiatrist, and when appropriate for their specialty area of education, also qualifies for an additional scope of practice of Podiatric Surgeon and / or Podiatrist Prescriber as determined by the Podiatrists Board, who is presenting short-term educational / instructional programmes requiring demonstrations or practices, of a clinical or practical nature.
Qualification
Qualifications as to the individual educator speciality areas as recognised by the Podiatrists Board.