STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3128

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     H.B. No. 2145

        H.D. 1

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2145, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICATION SYNCHRONIZATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Allow the synchronization of plan participants' medications; and

 

     (2)  Require policies and plan contracts that are offered by health insurers and mutual benefit societies and provide prescription drug benefits to apply prorated daily cost-sharing rates for prescriptions dispensed by network pharmacies for less than a thirty-day supply.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Kaiser Permanente Hawaii; Walgreen Co.; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; and Hawaii Medical Association.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Board of Pharmacy, and Hawaii Medical Service Association.

 

     Your Committee finds that medication synchronization allows a pharmacist to review a patient's medications and sync medication refills so all the refills are able to be picked up on a single day each month.  This process, which involves short fills of less than a thirty days' supply, can be challenging at first, as it may take a few refills of smaller quantities to get all of a patient's prescription medications aligned on the same refill or "sync" day.  However, the long-term convenience of medication synchronization is popular with patients and leads to increased adherence to prescription medications for chronic conditions.  According to testimony received by your Committee, evidence shows that patients who have synched their chronic medications are about thirty percent more adherent than patients who are not in a medication synchronization program.

 

     Your Committee further finds that this measure facilitates synchronization of prescription medication dispensation for Hawaii patients, which will encourage better medication adherence and lead to improved health outcomes for patients.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that for purposes of medication synchronization, the ability to override any denial codes indicating a prescription is being refilled too soon applies to network pharmacies;

 

     (2)  Specifying that a network pharmacy shall identify an anchor prescription to which all other prescriptions may be synced for the purposes of medication synchronization and clarifying that any medication dispensed in an unbreakable package shall not be considered the anchor prescription;

 

     (3)  Inserting a definition of "unbreakable package";

 

     (4)  Specifying that the medication synchronization requirements applicable to health insurers and mutual benefit societies also apply to health maintenance organizations;

 

     (5)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion;

 

     (6)  Inserting a repeal date of July 1, 2023; and

 

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2145, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2145, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair