Section 35. Nurse-midwife license.
(a) General rule.--A nurse-midwife license empowers the licensee to practice midwifery in this Commonwealth as provided in this act. The board shall formulate and issue such rules and regulations, from time to time, as may be necessary for the examination, licensing and proper conduct of the practice of midwifery.
(b) Requirements.--No nurse-midwife license will be issued unless the applicant is a registered nurse licensed in this Commonwealth. An applicant for a midwife license must have completed an academic and clinical program of study in midwifery which has been approved by the board or an accrediting body recognized by the board.
(c) Authorization.--
(1) A nurse-midwife is authorized to practice midwifery pursuant to a collaborative agreement with a physician or physician group and regulations promulgated by the board. ((1) amended May 6, 2026, P.L.196, No.14)
(2) A nurse-midwife who possesses a master's degree or its substantial equivalent and national certification may prescribe, dispense, order and administer drugs, including legend drugs and Schedule II through Schedule V controlled substances, as defined in the act of April 14, 1972 (P.L.233, No.64), known as The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, provided that the nurse-midwife demonstrates to the board that:
(i) The nurse-midwife has successfully completed at least 45 hours of coursework specific to advanced pharmacology at a level above that required by a professional nursing education program.
(ii) As a condition of biennial license renewal by the board, a nurse-midwife shall complete the continuing education requirement as required by the act of May 22, 1951 (P.L.317, No.69), known as The Professional Nursing Law. In case of a nurse-midwife who has prescriptive authority under this act, the continuing education required by The Professional Nursing Law shall include at least 16 hours in pharmacology in that two-year period.
(iii) The nurse-midwife acts in accordance with a collaborative agreement with a physician or physician group which shall at a minimum identify the categories of drugs from which the nurse-midwife may prescribe or dispense and the drugs which require referral, consultation or comanagement. ((iii) amended May 6, 2026, P.L.196, No.14)
(iv) The nurse-midwife acts in accordance with the following restrictions:
(A) A nurse-midwife shall not prescribe, dispense, order or administer a controlled substance except for a woman's acute pain, for a woman's medication for treatment of opioid use disorder or for primary gynecologic health conditions. The following shall apply:
(I) In the case of a Schedule II controlled substance, the dose shall be limited to 72 hours and shall not be extended except with the approval of a collaborating physician.
(II) In the case of a Schedule III or IV controlled substance, the prescription shall be limited to 30 days and shall only be refilled with the approval of a collaborating physician.
(B) A nurse-midwife shall prescribe, dispense, order or administer psychotropic drugs only after consulting with a collaborating physician.
(C) A nurse-midwife, when working with a physician or physician group, may perform and sign the initial assessment of methadone treatment evaluations in accordance with Federal and State law and regulations, subject to the requirement that any order for methadone treatment shall only be made by a physician.
((iv) amended May 6, 2026, P.L.196, No.14)
(3) A nurse-midwife may, in accordance with a collaborative agreement with a physician or physician group and consistent with the nurse-midwife's academic educational preparation and national certification, prescribe, dispense, order and administer: (Intro. par. amended May 6, 2026, P.L.196, No.14)
(i) Medical devices.
(ii) Immunizing agents.
(iii) Laboratory tests.
(iv) Therapeutic, diagnostic and preventative measures.
((c) added July 20, 2007, P.L.324, No.50)
(d) Collaborative agreements.--The physician or physician group with whom a nurse-midwife has a collaborative agreement shall have hospital clinical privileges in the specialty area of the care for which the physician or physician group is providing collaborative services. ((d) amended May 6, 2026, P.L.196, No.14)
Compiler's Note: See section 4 of Act 14 of 2026 in the appendix to this act for special provisions relating to construction of law.
Compiler's Note: Section 3 of Act 50 of 2007, which added subsections (c) and (d), provided that the State Board of Medicine shall promulgate regulations to implement subsections (c) and (d) within 12 months of the effective date of Act 50. The board shall report every three months on the status of the regulations to the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee of the Senate and the Professional Licensure Committee of the House of Representatives.