STAND. COM. REP. 1623

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.R. No. 89

H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which was referred H.R. No. 89, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, AND BOARD OF PHARMACY TO CONDUCT A JOINT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ON THE RETURN OF UNUSED DRUGS BY INSTITUTIONAL FACILITIES FOR FUTURE DISPENSING TO INDIGENT PATIENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this resolution is to request the Department of Human Services, Department of Health, and Board of Pharmacy to conduct a joint feasibility study on the return of unused pharmaceuticals from institutional facilities for possible subsequent dispensing to indigent patients.

The Department of Health and Hawaii Long Term Care Association testified in support of this measure. The Department of Human Services submitted testimony in support of the intent of this measure. The Board of Pharmacy commented.

Your Committee believes that it is possible to safely redistribute prescription drugs when adequate safeguards are in place. Developing a joint implementation plan, along with necessary administrative rule revisions, would eliminate waste and allow insurance companies, in particular Medicaid, to save costs.

Your Committee finds that the term "indigent" may create an innacurate, negative impression about the quality of redistributed drugs and those who receive those drugs. Further, the term may limit this measure to indigent patients and add the burden of establishing a means test before a pharmacy may reissue the drugs. Accordingly your Committee has removed the term from the resolution.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 89, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 89, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

____________________________

KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Chair