The Medical Laboratory Science Board (“the board”) hereby gives notice that the following notice replaces the one dated the 19th day of July 2006 and published in the New Zealand Gazette, 27 July 2006, No. 4942, page 2658.
This notice will take effect from 21 May 2009.
Scopes of Practice
Pursuant to section 11(1) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (“the Act”), the board specifies two scopes of practice as follows:
A. MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTIST
B. MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
Qualifications Prescribed for Registration in a Scope of Practice
A. MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTIST
Pursuant to section 12 of the Act, the qualifications required for registration as a medical laboratory scientist shall be one of the following:
1. A degree in medical laboratory science from a New Zealand university accredited by the board.
2. A post-graduate qualification, approved by the board in each case, combined with relevant and specialised medical laboratory experience that, in the opinion of the board, is sufficient for registration as a medical laboratory scientist.
3. Certification in medical laboratory science by an authority outside New Zealand approved by the board, combined with relevant and specialised medical laboratory experience that, in the opinion of the board, is sufficient for registration as a medical laboratory scientist.
4. A course of training, examinations and post-qualification medical laboratory experience that, in the opinion of the board, is substantially equivalent to the course of training for the New Zealand BMLSC degree.
B. MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
Pursuant to section 12 of the Act, the qualifications required for registration as a medical laboratory technician shall be one of the following:
1. Qualified Medical Laboratory Technician (QMLT) certificate or Qualified Technical Assistant (QTA) certificate or Qualified Phlebotomy Technician (QPT) certificate or Qualified Donor Technician (QDT) issued by the New Zealand Institute of Medical Laboratory Science.
2. A bachelors degree in a field of science awarded by a New Zealand university, approved in each case by the board, combined with a minimum of 12 months’ relevant full-time (or equivalent) medical laboratory experience that, in the opinion of the board, is sufficient for registration as a medical laboratory technician.
3. A National Diploma in Science, Level Six, or equivalent qualification, with a minimum of 12 months’ relevant full-time (or equivalent) medical laboratory experience that, in the opinion of the board, is sufficient for registration as a medical laboratory technician.
4. A course of training and an examination or examinations combined with relevant medical laboratory experience that, in the opinion of the board, is sufficient for registration as a medical laboratory technician.
5. Four years relevant full-time (or equivalent) experience in a New Zealand Blood Service institution obtained prior to
31 March 2009 which, in the opinion of the board, is sufficient for registration, providing that the applicant shall have been employed in a New Zealand Blood Service institution during at least four years of the eight years preceding
31 March 2009. This clause applies from 21 May 2009 to 31 July 2009.
6. At the expiry of the above clause, all non registered Blood Donor Technicians will be required to sit and pass the Qualified Donor Technician (QDT) examination to gain registration.
Dated at Wellington this 20th day of May 2009.
MARY DOYLE, Registrar, Medical Laboratory Science Board.