New Zealand Pathology Observation Code Sets (NZPOCS)
Our standard code sets for ordering and reporting pathology and laboratory tests and results
Pātiki and Waharua Kōpito patterns
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Overview
The New Zealand Pathology Observation Code Sets (NZPOCS) standard comprises curated code sets for ordering and reporting pathology and laboratory tests and results.
The code sets are based on international standards SNOMED CT and LOINC, and cover all commonly performed tests in biochemistry, haematology, immunology, microbiology, virology/serology and toxicology.
NZPOCS was created in 2006 and is updated and distributed every six months by Health NZ.
Content
NZPOCS centres on a code set for identifying pathology and laboratory test types in orders, results and shared health records.
This code set comprises a subset of about 38,000 LOINC codes from the LOINC international release plus a set of about 2000 LOINC-compatible codes in a LOINC NZ extension.
Our LOINC NZ extension covers test types specific to New Zealand and uses the same structure and naming conventions as standard LOINC.
LOINC content
LOINC content
LOINC (external link) is an international terminology standard for identifying health observations, measurements and documents. It is a common language (a set of identifiers, names and codes) that represent the 'question' for a test or measurement.
We use LOINC at no cost under the licence terms http://loinc.org/license (external link).
The LOINC NZ Extension supplements the LOINC international release with New Zealand specific codes and temporary codes that are created when no suitable LOINC code is available. Each code created in the extension is clearly marked out with the prefix XNZ. Codes may eventually be promoted from the extension to the international release.
We publish the latest full LOINC release and LOINC Ontology on NZHTS.
SNOMED content
SNOMED content
SNOMED CT (external link) is a comprehensive system of clinical terminology that provides a standardised way to represent clinical terms, enabling health professionals to record and share clinical information consistently and accurately. The SNOMED NZ Edition consists of the SNOMED International Edition supplemented by the SNOMED NZ Extension.
Alongside LOINC codes, SNOMED CT is used to capture laboratory data. While LOINC codes identify laboratory test and observation types (questions), SNOMED codes are used to represent the answers to these questions. SNOMED codes can also be used for ordering lab tests.
A promising new joint development between LOINC and SNOMED that we're exploring is the LOINC Ontology (external link), which uses the SNOMED framework to create paired SNOMED and LOINC concepts for content common to the two systems.
All systems that contain coded lab data - including laboratory information systems, infection control systems, clinical information systems, clinical data repositories and shared health record systems - should have both LOINC and SNOMED capability and stay current with our releases of NZPOCS and the SNOMED NZ Edition.
Microorganism code set
Microorganism code set
The SNOMED NZ Edition includes a microorganism reference set that includes all concepts in the SNOMED microorganism hierarchy.
The choice to include this code set was agreed in 2018 between HISO, the National Pathology and Laboratory Round Table and the New Zealand Microbiology Network. Laboratory information managers and their industry partners were consulted on the changes at the time.
The code set considerably extends the Royal College of Pathology of Australasia (RCPA) microorganism code set of about 3000 concepts, to provide better coverage and avoid difficulties in using and maintaining a restricted set of codes.
We work with our RCPA partners when requesting additions to the microorganism content in SNOMED.
Current release
Updates to NZPOCS are released twice per year, every April and October.
October 2025 release
Download the current release that incorporates the latest LOINC.
NZPOCS can be downloaded from the link below or accessed via our NZ Health Terminology Service (NZHTS).
Changes from previous release
View the changes from the previous NZPOCS release in the spreadsheet below:
Requesting new content
We welcome requests for updates to NZPOCS.
Either use our submission form (external link) or email standards@tewhatuora.govt.nz with your request.
To add a term for an existing LOINC code we need to know:
- LOINC code
- Name
- NZ short name
To create a new LOINC code in the NZ Extension we need to know:
- NZ short name
- Property
- Time aspect
- System
- Scale type
- Method type
- Whether order or observation code
- Speciality (haematology, microbiology ABX, microbiology gyn/cyto, biochemistry, immunology, serology/virology or toxicology)
Pātiki and Waharua Kōpito patterns
LOINC terms of use
This material contains content from LOINC (http://loinc.org). LOINC is copyright © Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) Committee and is available at no cost under the license at http://loinc.org/license.