Scopes of Practice

The Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand has specified two scopes of practice within the profession of medical laboratory science:

  • Medical laboratory scientist
  • Medical laboratory technician

Within the scope of practice of medical laboratory technician a person may have a condition that restricts them to working within a particular health service category, that is,  Medical Laboratory Technician (Phlebotomy only), or Medical Laboratory Technician (Donor Technician only).

Without registration a person may not use the title of medical laboratory scientist medical laboratory technician or do anything calculated to suggest a person is qualified to be registered or able to practise as a medical laboratory scientist or medical laboratory technician.

 While a person may be registered in both the above scopes of practice, he/she can only hold an annual practising certificate in one scope of practice - either as a medical laboratory scientist or as a medical laboratory technician.

HEALTH SERVICE CATEGORIES:

 Medical laboratory science is practised in a number of health service categories:

  • Chemical Pathology (Clinical Biochemistry)
  • Haematology
  • Transfusion Science
  • Histology
  • Microbiology
  • Cytology
  • Cytogenetics
  • Immunology
  • Virology
  • Molecular pathology
  • Mortuary
  • Electron Microscopy
  • Phlebotomy
  • Embryology

APPLICATION TO CHANGE A SCOPE OF PRACTICE:

 A registered medical laboratory scientist may apply to change their scope of practice to a medical laboratory technician.  Alternatively, a medical laboratory technician may apply to change their scope of practice to a medical laboratory scientist.

All applications to change a scope of practice are to be submitted to the Registrations Manager on the Council-issued Registration Application Form.  See link at bottom of this page to download a copy of the Application for Registration/Change of Scope of Practice Form.

All applications to change a scope of practice will incur a fee of $230.00.  See link at bottom of this page to download a copy of the Fee Payment Form.

 

Change of Scope of Practice from a Medical Laboratory Scientist to a Medical Laboratory Technician:

 If you are a registered medical laboratory scientist or medical laboratory scientist intern, you can be employed as a medical laboratory technician under the following conditions:

If you are a medical laboratory scientist who is employed as a medical laboratory technician but continue to hold an annual practising certificate in the scope of medical laboratory scientist, you must provide evidence that you are enrolled in, and have met the requirements of, a Council-approved medical laboratory scientist recertification programme.  You will be required to provide this evidence as a requirement of your application to renew your annual practising certificate.  In this situation you do not need to apply for a change of scope of practice.

If you are a medical laboratory scientist who is employed as a medical laboratory technician and hold an annual practising certificate in the medical laboratory technician scope of practice, you will need to apply for a change of scope of practice to that of medical laboratory technician.  You will also need to provide evidence that you have met the requirements of the medical laboratory technician recertification programme as set by Council.  You will be required to work under the direction of a registered medical laboratory scientist or other appropriate registered health practitioner (but not a medical laboratory technician).

 

Change of Scope of Practice from a Medical Laboratory Technician to a Medical Laboratory Scientist:

 If you are a registered medical laboratory technician you can apply to be registered as a medical laboratory scientist under the following conditions:

 If you have applied for, and been approved to, change your scope of practice to a medical laboratory scientist, you will be issued with an interim practising certificate (IPC) prior to being issued an annual practising certificate (APC).

While practising with an IPC you must work under supervision and then be signed off as being competent to practise as a medical laboratory scientist before an APC is issued.  See link at bottom of this page to download a copy of the Certification of Competence to Practise as a Medical Laboratory Scientist Form.

As well as providing evidence of competence to practise as a medical laboratory scientist you must also provide evidence of enrolment in an approved medical laboratory scientist recertification programme before an APC is issued.

The time period an IPC is issued for will vary according to the level of your experience, but will not exceed 12 months.

With the exception of being enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Science qualification programme, if you have practised as a medical laboratory technician for more than 3 years, you may have your IPC changed to an APC as soon as Council has received evidence that you have been signed off as being competent to practise as a medical laboratory scientist and are enrolled in an approved recertification programme. 

If you have practised as a medical laboratory technician for less than 3 years or are moving into a situation which entails a major change in the tasks you will be undertaking, you will be issued with an IPC for a minimum of 3-6 months and be required to work under supervision for that period.  Following this minimum period, an annual practising certificate will be issued upon evidence that you are competent to practise as a medical laboratory scientist and have enrolled in a Council-approved medical laboratory scientist recertification programme.