STAND. COM. REP. NO.  544

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1176

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1176 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure, as received by your Committee, is to prohibit persons licensed pursuant to Chapter 453, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), relating to medicine and surgery, and Chapter 463E, HRS, relating to podiatrists, from:

 

(1)  Prescribing a greater than 30-day supply of any narcotic drug;

 

(2)  Issuing the automatic refill of a narcotic drug.

 

     The Hawaii Medical Board and an individual supported this measure.  The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii Society of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and two individuals opposed this measure.  Walgreen Co., submitted comments on this measure.

 

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting provisions that address consumer protection issues addressing the regulation of prescription medication and narcotic drugs.  As amended, among other things, this measure:

 

(1)  Establishes a Narcotics Advisory Committee within the Department of Public Safety to recommend acceptable continuing medical education program topics and curriculum to Narcotics Enforcement Division,

 

(2)  Establishes a mandatory continuing medical education program for prescribing practitioners who prescribe narcotic drugs;

 

(3)  Requires that a pain medication agreement be executed between a patient and any prescriber of a narcotic drug within the State for use as a pain medication;

 

(4)  Requires that beginning January 1, 2017, practitioners and practitioner delegates are to request patient information from the central repository prior to prescribing or dispensing a controlled substance to a new patient and request patient information from the central repository for a patient receiving chronic pain therapy;

 

(5)  Establishes the Overdose Prevention and Emergency Response Act, which creates immunity for individuals who prescribe, possess, or administer an opioid antagonist during an opioid-related drug overdose

 

(6)  Appropriates funds for drug overdose recognition, prevention, and response, including the distribution and administration of naloxone hydrochloride; and

 

(7)  Changes the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

 

     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. 1176, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1176, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair