STAND. COM. REP. NO.  611

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2023

 

RE:   H.B. No. 218

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 218 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require dispensing pharmacies to provide accessible prescription drug label information to individuals who have difficulty seeing or reading standard printed labels on prescription drug containers;

 

     (2)  Require dispensing pharmacies to make sustained, periodic, and reasonable efforts to inform the public that prescription drug label information is available in accessible formats; and

 

     (3)  Require the Board of Pharmacy to adopt rules by December 31, 2023, to carry out the purposes of this measure.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board, National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, National Federal of the Blind of Hawaii, and six individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services, Board of Pharmacy, and Walgreen Co.

 

     Your Committee finds that persons with disabilities who cannot read print prescription drug container labels may inadvertently take the wrong medication, the wrong amount, at the wrong time, and under the wrong instructions, which can endanger the health and safety of themselves and family members for whom they are caregivers.  This measure reduces these concerns by requiring pharmacies to provide prescription drug label information in an alternative accessible format and inform the public of these alternatives.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requiring the Board of Pharmacy to adopt rules by December 31, 2025, rather than December 31, 2023;

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 218, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 218, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

 


 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair