STAND. COM. REP. NO. 792

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 303

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 303, S.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 develop initiatives to reduce incidences of prescription drug abuse in the State through educational efforts.

 

     Specifically, this measure establishes:

 

(1)  The narcotics enforcement and prescription drug monitoring advisory committee within the Department of Health to advise and assist the Department of Public Safety Narcotics Enforcement Division with regard to, among other things, statewide statistics regarding drug prescriptions and community standards of care and specialty standards of care; and

 

(2)  The Hawaii drug take-back and education initiative within the Department of Public Safety to, among other things, organize and incentivize the safe return and disposal of drugs and integrate recommendations from the narcotics enforcement and prescription drug monitoring advisory committee.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Walgreens, the Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and two individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that the educational programs established in this measure will help address issues of patient misuse or abuse of prescription drugs, and safe prescribing protocols for prescription drugs.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 303, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair