STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1458

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1299

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1299, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize pharmacies to provide customized patient medication packages to patients of an institutional facility or members of the public under certain conditions.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Walgreen Company, Hawaii Pharmacists Association, and six individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities and Hawaii Medical Service Association.

 

     Your Committee finds that failure to take medication as prescribed may hinder positive patient outcomes.  According to testimony submitted by the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, a 2008 Medco Health Solutions report indicated that fifty-one percent of insured patients nationwide take at least one medication for a chronic condition, yet as many as half of patients do not take the medications as prescribed, according to some estimates.  Furthermore, the Network for Excellence in Health Innovation reports that poor adherence to prescribed medications is one of the drug related problems that is responsible for up to thirteen percent of healthcare expenditures, or $290,000,000,000 annually in unnecessary healthcare costs.  Your Committee finds that this measure will help address this issue by assisting certain patients with maintaining better compliance with their prescription medication regimen.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2070, to encourage further discussion.

 

     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. 1299, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1299, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair