Regulations have been approved that allow certain nurse midwives to prescribe, administer, and dispense drugs in accordance with their collaborative agreement with a physician. The Independent Regulatory Review Commission approved
the regulations on Feb. 26, 2009.
The regulations implement a law passed in 2007 . The Pennsylvania Medical Society supports the regulations because they do not expand the midwives’ scope of practice beyond the intent of the law.
In order to prescribe, the nurse midwife must:
- Earn a master’s degree or equivalent
- Receive national certification
- Complete 45 hours of advanced pharmacology coursework
- Complete 16 hours of continuing education in pharmacology every two years
The law also allows nurse midwives, acting in accordance with their collaborative agreement, to prescribe, administer, and dispense medical devices, immunizing agents, and laboratory tests, as well as therapeutic, diagnostic, and preventive measures.