(a) The Director shall:

(b) The Director shall adopt general rules necessary to perform his or her duties under this chapter, maintain and make available a list of approved programs for continuing education, and by January 1, 2001, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, the Vermont Medical Society, and the Vermont chapter of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, adopt specific rules defining the scope and practice standards, including risk-assessment criteria, based at a minimum, on the practice standards of the Vermont Midwives Alliance (VMA) and the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA), and defining a protocol and formulary for drug use by licensed midwives, including anti-hemorrhagic drugs and oxygen. Once initially established by rule, the formulary for medication use by licensed midwives, including anti-hemorrhagic agents and oxygen, shall be updated by the Director as necessary, subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Health and notwithstanding the provisions of 3 V.S.A. chapter 25. The Director shall update the protocol and formulary, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health or his or her designee, the Vermont Medical Society, and the Vermont chapter of the American College of Nurse-Midwives to ensure licensed midwives have available those medications deemed necessary to maintain best practice standards and deemed necessary for licensed midwives to provide prenatal and postpartum care consistent with accepted and prevailing standards of care for mothers and their babies.

(c)(1) The Director shall appoint an advisory committee to study and report to the Director and to the Commissioner of Health on matters relating to midwifery, including recommendations if necessary for revisions to the administrative rules. The Committee shall focus on improving communication and collaboration among birth providers.