STAND. COM. REP. NO.  274

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1456

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1456 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is increase and improve the provision of therapeutic and pharmacological mental health care in federally designated medically underserved areas or mental health professional shortage areas of the state by allowing appropriately-trained psychologists practicing in licensed health care clinics within these areas to prescribe a limited array of psychotropic medications; provided that they have met all the requirements to achieve:

 

(1)  A conditional prescription certificate, including the completion of at least two years of biological and pharmacological training curriculum and a supervised practicum; or

 

(2)  A prescription certificate, including:

 

(A)  Completing at least two years of prescribing psychotropic medications while holding a conditional prescription certificate;

 

(B)  Having undergone an independent peer review; and

 

(C)  Successfully having undergone a process of independent peer review approved by the Board of Psychologists, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, and the Hawaii Board of Medical Examiners.

 

     The American Psychological Association, Waikiki Health Center, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Medical Service Association, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Department of Health, Board of Psychology, Board of Medical Examiners, Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness – Oahu, American Psychiatric Nurses Association – Hawaii Chapter, and several concerned individuals opposed this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that many valid concerns have been raised by both the opponents and proponents of this bill regarding safety concerns and the need for therapeutic and pharmacological mental health care in the state's medically underserved areas or mental health professional shortage areas.  Though your Committee has some concerns regarding the curriculum and drug formulary described in the bill in its present form, there is a greater concern for those people in the state who do not have access to a qualified psychiatrist to provide them with the diagnosis and treatment options that they desperately need.

 

     In an effort to facilitate further discussion on this measure, your Committee has passed this bill with an amendment changing the effective date to January 1, 2050.  This will allow this important measure to receive further community input and scrutiny from the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce (CPC) and the Committee on Judiciary (JUD).  Your Committee encourages the members of CPC and JUD and any of the stakeholders to read the report drafted in 2006 by the Legislative Reference Bureau entitled "Prescriptive Authority For Psychologists: Issues And Considerations" which is available online at http://www.hawaii.gov/lrb/rpts07/rxauth.pdf.

 

     Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency 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. 1456, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1456, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair