Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Health Care & Wellness Committee
SB 6178
Brief Description: Aligning the legend drug act to reflect the prescriptive authority for licensed midwives.
Sponsors: Senators Randall, Torres, Nobles, Trudeau, Kuderer, Dhingra, Salda?a, Shewmake and Wilson, C..
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Adds licensed midwives to the list of practitioners who may prescribe legend drugs.
Hearing Date: 2/16/24
Staff: Jim Morishima (786-7191).
Background:

A licensed midwife renders medical aid for a fee to a person during prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum stages or to a newborn up to two weeks of age.

 

A midwife may obtain and administer certain drugs, including prophylactic ophthalmic medication, postpartum oxytocic, vitamin K, rho immune globulin, and local anesthetic.  A midwife may administer other medications prescribed by a physician.  In addition, the Secretary of Health (Secretary) may adopt rules in consultation with the Midwife Advisory Committee, the Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission, and the Washington Medical Commission, to allow midwives to purchase and use legend drugs and devices.  Legend drugs and devices authorized to be purchased and used by midwives include resuscitation equipment, nitrous oxide, epinephrine, and certain intravenous fluids.

 

In addition, a midwife may obtain a limited prescriptive license extension.  A midwife who has been granted such a license extension may prescribe, obtain, and administer:

  • antibiotic, antiemetic, antiviral, antifungal, low-potency topical steroid, and antipruritic medications and therapies;
  • other medications and therapies defined in rules adopted by the Secretary for the prevention and treatment of conditions that do not constitute a significant deviation from normal in pregnancy or postpartum; and
  • hormonal and nonhormonal family planning methods.

 

To obtain a limited prescriptive license extension, a midwife must complete additional study and training requirements established in rule by the Secretary in collaboration with the Washington Medical Commission and the Midwifery Advisory Committee.  The requirements must provide for the number of additional obstetrical pharmacology training hours consistent with other prescribers and additional training consistent with guidelines commensurate with other professions providing family planning and treating common prenatal and postpartum conditions and any other relevant sources.

 

A legend drug is a drug that may be dispensed by prescription only or are limited to use by certain practitioners.  Practitioners who may prescribe legend drugs include physicians, physician assistants, registered nurses, advanced registered nurse practitioners, optometrists, dentists, and podiatric physicians.
Summary of Bill:

Licensed midwives are added to the definition of "practitioner" for purposes of legend drugs and may prescribe legend drugs to the extent authorized by law.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.