CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 129-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2005

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

C.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2005, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this bill is to prevent waste and help the needy by:

(1) Establishing a Return-for-Credit-and-Reuse of Prescription Drugs Program to allow previously dispensed prescription drugs meeting certain requirements to be returned to the dispensing pharmacy for credit to the payer and reuse;

(2) Establishing a mechanism for previously dispensed prescription drugs to be donated to drug repositories; and

(3) Requesting the Department of Health (DOH) to report on the implementation and operation of the drug repository program and the potential for expansion to include drugs donated by private individuals.

Your Committee on Conference recognizes that prescription drugs are one of the most costly components of health care. Drugs are sometimes wasted because once they have been dispensed, they may not be used by anyone other than the individual for whom the medication was prescribed. This measure would assist the needy and other individuals who lack the means to obtain prescription drugs, in addition to saving money and reducing waste.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

(1) Inserting a section defining the purpose and intent of this measure;

(2) Clarifying that donated drugs be used or accepted by a repository in Hawaii before being distributed to repositories outside of the state;

(3) Adding a requirement that DOH include in their report to the Legislature possible strategies to provide incentives for dispensing pharmacies or institutional facilities to donate drugs;

(4) Specifying that drugs for reuse be offered first to a drug repository entity before being considered for return-for-credit-and-reuse; and

(5) Making other technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2005, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2005, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________

RON MENOR, Co-Chair

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Co-Chair

____________________________

ROSALYN BAKER, Co-Chair

____________________________

ROBERT N. HERKES, Co-Chair

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Co-Chair