STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2576

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 3041
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which
was referred S.B. No. 3041 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OPTOMETRY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to facilitate the provision
and administration of pharmaceutical agents to consumers by
optometrists.

     Testimony on this measure was submitted by the Board of
Examiners in Optometry, Hawaii Optometric Association, Hawaii
Ophthalmological Society, Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii
Psychiatric Medical Association, Mid Pacific Eyecare, Eyes Plus,
Pacific Vision Center, Windward Eyecare, Aina Haina Eye Center,
and numerous individuals.

     In 1996, the legislature granted optometrists the authority
to treat certain eye conditions with topical therapeutic
pharmaceutical agents (TPAs).  Act 292, Session Laws of Hawaii
1996, also established a joint formulary committee composed of
optometrists, pharmacists, and ophthalmologists, to recommend a
formulary for adoption by the Board of Optometry.  The new law
went into effect on July 1, 1999.

     This measure would repeal the joint formulary committee and
allow optometrists to use and prescribe TPAs in any approved
form.  Your Committee finds that the new law has only recently
gone into effect and, therefore, the expansion of optometrists'

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2576
                                   Page 2


scope of practice and repeal of the joint formulary committee is
premature. 
     
     Upon careful consideration, your Committee has amended this
measure by adding an additional optometrist member to the joint
formulary committee and deleting all other changes to
chapter 459, Hawaii Revised Statutes. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of S.B. No. 3041, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B.
No. 3041, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third
Reading.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN KANNO, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

 
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