Patients appear to be behind a move that will see registered nurses prescribe medicines.

A regulation comes into effect today allowing nurses to give medication to people with long term conditions.

LISTEN ABOVE: Massey University Professor Jenny Carryer speaks with Mike Hosking

To be eligible the nurses must also hold a post-graduate diploma with a focus on long-term conditions in primary care settings.

Professor of Nursing at Massey University Jenny Carryer said they've already done a pilot study to test the regulation, and patient feedback was positive.

"The biggest thing was that it increased their access to care.

The second thing was that they enjoyed getting the full episode of care from the nurse because they got much higher levels of information and came to understand and know how to manage their conditions much better."

Carryer said the nurses must also hold a post-graduate diploma with a focus on long-term conditions in primary care settings.

"We know from the pilot we have already done with a group of nurses prescribing in this context that actually they proscribed well and safely and with high levels of passion and satisfaction."

Nurse practitioners are already able to prescribe all available medicines.