STAND. COM. REP. NO. 269-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2475

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2475 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GENERIC SUBSTITUTION OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRODUCTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to clarify the law pertaining to substitution of generic prescription drugs by, among other things:

(1) Adding and amending definitions;

(2) Replacing the state drug formulary with the Hawaii additions and deletions list or compendia of therapeutically equivalent generic drug products; and

(3) Removing the provision that prohibits the substitution of anti-epileptic drugs without consent.

The Department of Health and Hawaii Medical Service Association testified in support of this bill. NAMI Oahu provided comments.

Your Committee finds that clarifying the guidelines for substitution of generic prescription drugs will allow newly available generic drugs to become available to Hawaii consumers in a more timely manner. It should be noted that it is not the intent of your Committee to deny or discourage the use of brand name drugs, particularly for mental illness.

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. 2475 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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