STAND. COM. REP. 2568

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2950

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2950, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GENERIC SUBSTITUTION OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRODUCTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make United States Food and Drug Administration approved, therapeutically equivalent generic drug products substitutable upon approval by the Director of Health.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Health, Hawaii Pharmacists Association, Hawaii Medical Service Association, and Kaiser Permanente.

This measure is intended to enhance current law that allows the dispensing of therapeutically equivalent generic drugs by pharmacists. This measure clarifies that the definition of compendia of therapeutically equivalent generic drug products includes United States Food and Drug Administration-approved generic drug products with therapeutic evaluations. This means that the product has been approved for marketing by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Your Committee finds that FDA-approved products are safe and effective, and therapeutically equivalent drugs should be allowed to be used for generic substitution.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2950, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing,

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair