STAND. COM. REP. NO. 545-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2525
                                     H.D. 2




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which
was referred H.B. No. 2525, H.D. 1, entitled: 

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve the delivery of
health care in this state by:

     (1)  Liberalizing requirements for:

          (A)  The dispensing of prescription drugs for out-of-
               state prescriptions, by removing unnecessary
               regulatory controls including the 30-day supply
               restriction, and building flexibility into
               existing procedures; and

          (B)  The dispensing of medical oxygen, by authorizing
               distribution by a medical oxygen distributor
               pursuant to a valid prescription or certificate of
               medical necessity;

          and

     (2)  Improving existing prescription drug procedures by:

          (A)  Clarifying minimum content requirements and
               verification procedures for prescription drug
               orders; and

 
 
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          (B)  Shifting from the Department of Health (DOH), to
               the Department of Public Safety, responsibility
               for the assignment to physicians of oral code
               numbers for prescription verification purposes.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from DOH, the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, and Longs Drugs.

     Your Committee heard testimony that the liberalization of
procedures for out-of-state prescriptions will benefit both
tourists and residents who have physicians outside of the State.
Your Committee finds that this measure retains federal and state
law requirements applicable to controlled substances, while
removing restrictions that unnecessarily impede access to needed
prescriptions, and streamlining the delivery process.

     Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were made to this bill
for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 2525, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and
recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto
as H.B. No. 2525, H.D. 2.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   RON MENOR, Chair