HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

10

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

requesting the continuation of a temporary interdepartmental emergency contraception information working group within the department of health to develop a mechanism to disseminate information on emergency contraception statewide.

 

 

WHEREAS, unintended pregnancies are a major public health concern affecting individuals and society in general; and

WHEREAS, each year, about 3,500,000 unintended pregnancies occur in this country, half of which result from contraceptive failure or inadequate contraceptive technique; and

WHEREAS, according to the Department of Health's (DOH) Office of Health Status Monitoring, in 2000, 53 percent of pregnancies were unintended for women of all ages in Hawaii, and 78 percent were unintended among women under 20 years of age; and

WHEREAS, emergency contraception is a highly cost-effective method of reducing unintended pregnancies, if taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex; and

WHEREAS, however, in a statewide study conducted in early January of 2002, the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii learned that there are significant barriers to accessing emergency contraceptives in Hawaii within the recommended 72-hour time-frame; and

WHEREAS, this problem has been rectified by the passage and enactment of Act 201, Session Laws of Hawaii 2003, which essentially made emergency contraception available through emergency contraceptive-trained pharmacists who have collaborative agreements with physicians; and

WHEREAS, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Pediatricians, American Public Health Association, and more than 50 other national organizations support this increased access to emergency contraception; and

WHEREAS, however, the Legislature finds that, although emergency contraception is now generally available after enactment of Act 201, women need to know of its availability and where to get it for the initiative to be successful; and

WHEREAS, depending on pharmacies, clinics, and family planning groups to take on this statewide burden is an inadequate approach; and

WHEREAS, since the State is responsible for the law's passage and its administration, the State should also take a major role in providing women with this information; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to assure the continuation of a temporary interdepartmental emergency contraception information working group to develop a mechanism to effectively disseminate information on the availability of emergency contraceptives through emergency contraceptive-trained pharmacists who have collaborative agreements with physicians in the State; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health or the Director's designee, is requested to chair the working group, and DOH is requested to provide any necessary administrative support; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health or the Director's designee, is requested to include, as members of the working group, representatives of the following:

(1) Department of Education;

(2) Department of Human Services;

(3) Judiciary;

(4) University of Hawaii;

(5) Board of Medical Examiners;

(6) Board of Pharmacy;

(7) Hawaii Pharmacists Association;

(8) American Academy of Obstetricians and Gynecologists;

(9) Board of Nursing;

(10) Each county administration; and

(11) Community and private family planning groups such as Planned Parenthood and Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to make use of any available resource, including physicians, nurses, clinics, pharmacies, drug manufacturers, distributors, or agents, and interested members of the public, to develop the information dissemination mechanism; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health, or the Director's designee, is requested to submit a final report to the Governor and the Legislature on the information dissemination mechanism no later than December 31, 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, who in turn is requested to transmit a copy to each of the groups named above.

Report Title:

Emergency Contraception Working Group; Dissemination of Data