Pennsylvania Gives Nurse Midwives Authority to Prescribe
The Pennsylvania Board of Nursing has published regulations implementing a 2007 law which gives nurse midwives the authority to prescribe, administer, and dispense drugs pursuant to collaborative agreement with a physician. The law and regulations also apply to medical devices, immunizing agents, and laboratory tests. In order to obtain prescriptive authority, nurse midwives must hold a master’s degree or equivalent, have national certification, and complete at least 45 hours of advanced pharmacology coursework and 16 hours of continuing education in pharmacology every two years. A draft version of the regulations can be viewed here.
