STAND. COM. REP. NO.  429

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2019

 

RE:   H.B. No. 700

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Intrastate Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 700 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHARMACISTS PRESCRIBING AND DISPENSING OF OPIOID ANTAGONIST,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify that an opioid antagonist may be prescribed and dispensed in both the name of an individual who is at risk for an opioid overdose, or in the name of a family member or caregiver of an at-risk individual who is requesting the opioid antagonist.

 

     The Department of Health, University of Hawaii at Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, Board of Pharmacy, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Walgreens Co., The Hawaii Pharmacist Association, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii testified in support of this measure.  Hawaii Medical Service Association provided comments.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     Your Committees note the Board of Pharmacy's testimony that this measure is in line with recommendations made by the Pharmacy Working Group.  Your Committees also note the testimony by Walgreens that Hawaii is one of the last states where opioid antagonists are not widely available to the community through the pharmacies and that this measure will increase community access to opioid antagonists.

 

     Your Committees further note that this measure does not require pharmacists to prescribe opioid antagonists in the name of family members or caregivers who are requesting the opioid antagonist for an individual who is at risk for an opioid overdose, but rather gives them the option of doing so.

 

     Should your Committee on Judiciary deliberate further on this measure, your Committees on Health and Intrastate Commerce respectfully request your Committee on Judiciary consider including a sunset date of June 30, 2024, to allow for a determination of whether or not the goals intended by this measure have been met.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Intrastate Commerce that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 700, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 700, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Intrastate Commerce,

 

 

____________________________

TAKASHI OHNO, Chair

 

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair