CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 123-18

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  , 2018

 

RE:     S.B. No. 2646

        S.D. 1

        H.D. 3

        C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sirs:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2646, S.D. 1, H.D. 3, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to reduce the public's access to Schedule II, III, or IV controlled substances by:

 

     (1)  Requiring a prescriber to consult the State's Electronic Prescription Accountability System, also known as the Hawaii Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), before prescribing the controlled substance in a quantity equaling a supply of seven days or longer, subject to certain exemptions; and

 

     (2)  Appropriating funds to the Department of Public Safety to improve the functionality and reliability of the PDMP.

 

     Your Committee on Conference finds that certain prescribers of controlled substances are required to register with the Department of Public Safety to use the PDMP and are required to report any relevant information prior to dispensing a controlled substance.  However, your Committee on Conference finds that prescribers are not required to consult the PDMP before writing a prescription.  Your Committee on Conference finds that since drug overdose rates have increased catastrophically in Hawaii, requiring prescribers to consult the PDMP prior to writing a prescription may reduce access to potentially addictive substances.  Your Committee on Conference also finds that the violations proposed by this measure are best policed by the appropriate professional licensing boards.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Broadening the requirement under which prescribers of controlled substances must consult with the PDMP by having the requirement applicable to all prescriptions for controlled substances, other than prescriptions of three days or less that are made in an emergency situation;

 

     (2)  Deleting the appropriation to the Department of Public Safety to improve the PDMP;

 

     (3)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2018; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2646, S.D. 1, H.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2646, S.D. 1, H.D. 3, C.D. 1.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO

Co-Chair

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER

Chair

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI

Co-Chair

 

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH

Co-Chair

____________________________

SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO

Co-Chair

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE

Co-Chair