STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3078

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 1934
                                        H.D. 2
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which
was referred H.B. No. 1934, H.D. 2, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OPTOMETRY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to facilitate the provision
and administration of pharmaceutical agents to consumers by
optometrists by streamlining the drug formulary approval process.

     Testimony on this measure was submitted by the Board of
Examiners in Optometry (Board), Hawaii Optometric Association,
Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Psychiatric Medical
Association, Leeward Eye Care, Inc., Pacific Vision Center,
Windward Eyecare, Island Eye Care, and numerous individuals.

     In 1996, the legislature granted optometrists the authority
to treat certain eye conditions with topical therapeutic
pharmaceutical agents.  Act 292, Session Laws of Hawaii 1996,
also established a joint formulary committee composed of
optometrists, pharmacists, and ophthalmologists, that is
responsible for establishing a drug formulary for adoption by the
Board.  The new law went into effect on July 1, 1999.

     This measure would change the joint formulary committee's
role with respect to establishing a drug formulary to an advisory
one and establish within the Board the authority to approve or
disapprove the formulary recommended by the committee.

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3078
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     Your Committee finds that the new law has only recently gone
into effect and, therefore, any changes to the procedures
governing the establishment of a drug formulary may be premature.
Therefore, upon careful consideration, your Committee has amended
this measure by replacing its contents with S.B. No. 3041,
S.D. 1.  As amended, this measure:

     (1)  Makes no amendments to section 459-7.4(a), Hawaii
          Revised Statutes, relative to the responsibilities of
          the joint formulary committee and the Board in
          establishing a drug formulary; and

     (2)  Adds another optometrist member to the joint formulary
          committee, for a total of three optometrists.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 1934, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and
recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached
hereto as H.B. No. 1934, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be placed on the
calendar for Third Reading.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN KANNO, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

 
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