Annual Practising Certificates
REGISTERED MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTISTS AND MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIANS:
Each year all medical laboratory scientists and technicians who wish to continue practising in their scope of practice in a New Zealand diagnostic medical laboratory must apply for and be issued with an annual practising certificate (APC).
All APC applications are managed through an online process.
You will be required to pay a fee of $175.00 (medical laboratory scientists) or $140.00 (medical laboratory technicians) before your APC is issued.
Click on the Apply for an APC button.
A condition of being issued with an APC is that the medical laboratory scientist or technician must provide evidence of enrolment, and satisfactory progress in, a Council-approved recertification programme.
Issue of an APC is also dependent on you having practised medical laboratory science within the last three years either inside or outside of New Zealand. If you have not practised within the last three years you will be required to work under an interim practising certificate (IPC). This requires you to work under supervision until such time as the Council has received evidence that you are competent to practise in the relevant scope of practice.
An APC is valid for a maximum of twelve-months between 1st April of one year and 31st March of the next year. An APC may be issued for a part of the relevant twelve-month period.
If you are a current holder of an APC you will be notified by the Council in January/February of each year of the need to renew your APC for the following year (1 April to 31 March), unless you have otherwise informed Council that you will not be practising in that period.
If you are newly registered and hold a qualification that is either substantially equivalent or defined as an "other" qualification, and have not practised in a New Zealand diagnostic medical laboratory within the last three years, you may be issued with an interim practising certificate.
Once approved, your APC and receipt is emailed to you in a PDF format and a copy can also be kept in your "My Profile" section of the website. The APC card will state your scope of practice including any conditions to that scope - e.g. Medical Laboratory Technician (Phlebotomy only); Medical Laboratory Technician (Donor Technician only).
Alternatively the Council may issue you with an interim practising certificate (IPC) until it is satisfied you demonstrate that you are competent to practise in the scope of practice of either a medical laboratory scientist or a medical laboratory technician. Working with an IPC will require you to work under the supervision of a registered medical laboratory scientist or other relevant registered health practitioner.
An IPC may be issued for a specified period (but not exceeding twelve months) prior to approval of an APC being issued. An IPC is issued as a printed paper certificate that is dated from the day of receipt of the application and states it is valid for a period of a specified number of months (not exceeding twelve months) or until sign-off by a supervisor that you are competent to practise in the stated scope of practice.
If you are newly registered and hold a qualification that is either substantially equivalent or defined as an "other" qualification, or have not practised in a New Zealand diagnostic medical laboratory within the last three years, you will be issued an IPC and be required to work under supervision for a minimum of six months in an ISO 15189 accredited diagnostic medical laboratory before being issued with an APC in the scope of practice of a medical laboratory scientist or the scope of practice of a medical laboratory technician. See bottom of this page to download a copy of the Council's Working under Supervision or Direction policy.
MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTIST INTERNS:
A medical laboratory scientist intern is a person who has completed the 4-year Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science degree programme and has been granted registration as a medical laboratory scientist but is required to work under supervision for a minimum of 6 months (or 9 months in certain circumstances as below) before being eligible for an annual practising certificate. See bottom of this page to download a copy of Council's Working under Supervision or Direction policy.
A medical laboratory scientist intern must hold an interim practising certificate and work under supervision for a minimum of 6 months full-time-equivalent work (9 months if a graduate of the University of Otago who has completed only one term of the 4th year clinical placement).
All APC applications are managed through an online process.
You will be required to pay a fee of $175.00 before your APC is issued.
Click on the Apply for an APC button.
Your internship must be completed in an ISO 15189 accredited diagnostic medical laboratory after which you may apply for an annual practising certificate. There are no exceptions to this requirement.
This 6/9 months internship must be completed within 5 years of your gaining the medical laboratory scientist qualification.
Issue of an annual practising certificate in the scope of practice of medical laboratory scientist is subject to certification by the supervising scientist/pathologist that you can satisfactorily perform the skills as listed on the Certificate of Competence to Practise as a Medical Laboratory Scientist form, without assistance or supervision. Certification is managed through the online application process. Issue of an annual practising certificate may be extended beyond the minimum 6-month period if the supervising scientist/pathologist considers you do not yet meet the required competency standards.
GRADUATES OF THE GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN SCIENCE:
If you have completed the Graduate Diploma in Science study programme, you can apply for an annual practising certificate (APC) in the scope of practice of medical laboratory scientist, and an interim practising certificate will be issued to you.
All APC applications are managed through an online process.
You will be required to pay a fee of $175.00 before your APC is issued.
Click on the Apply for an APC button.
You must work under supervision (issued with an interim practising certificate) for a minimum of 6 months full-time equivalent work in an ISO 15189 accredited diagnostic medical laboratory before being eligible to apply for an annual practising certificate in the scope of a medical laboratory scientist. There will be no exemptions from this requirement. See bottom of this page to download a copy of Council's Working under Supervision or Direction policy.
Issue of an annual practising certificate in the scope of practice of medical laboratory scientist is subject to certification from the supervising scientist/pathologist that you can satisfactorily perform the skills as listed on the Certification of Competence to Practise as a Medical Laboratory Scientists form, without assistance or supervision. Certification is managed through the online application process. Issue of an interim practising certificate may be extended beyond the minimum 6-month period if the supervising scientist/pathologist considers you do not yet meet the required competency standards.
