STAND. COM. REP. 244

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 123

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 123 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PRACTICE OF PHARMACY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to expedite the process of dispensing emergency contraception by authorizing qualified pharmacists to initiate emergency contraception oral drug therapy.

The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; Hawaii Medical Service Association; Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii; Kaiser Permanente; American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii; Planned Parenthood of Hawaii; Hawaii Women's Coalition; Hawaii Medical Association; Business and Professional Women/Hawaii; Hawaii Pharmacists Association; and several concerned individuals testified in support of this measure. The Board of Pharmacy and Board of Medical Examiners supported this measure with amendments. The Department of Health opposed this measure. A citizen submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that there is a high rate of unintended pregnancies in Hawaii, particularly for women under the age of 20. Emergency contraception is highly effective in preventing pregnancy, but it must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex to be most effective. A survey conducted in February 2002 concluded that over half of the family planning clinics were not able to provide emergency contraception within 72 hours, and only 10 percent of emergency rooms were able to provide access to emergency contraception within 72 hours. Furthermore, none of the pregnancy and counseling organizations surveyed were willing or able to provide access to emergency contraception within 72 hours.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Clarifying that a pharmacist must enter into a collaborative agreement with a licensed physician;

(2) Removing an obsolete reference to the Board of Osteopathic Examiners; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, conformity, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 123, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 123, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair