Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 411, H.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to extend the Good Samaritan law to pharmacists, wholesale prescription drug distributors, pharmaceutical companies, or physicians who in good faith without remuneration provide pharmaceuticals and health care supplies to needy persons.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Executive Office on Aging, Hawaii Pharmacists Association, and the Hawaii State Primary Care Association. Comments on this measure was submitted by the Consumer Lawyers of Hawaii.

Your Committee recognizes that recent technology provides a vast array of medications for the treatment of numerous ailments. Unfortunately, many of these medications may not be available to people in Hawaii due to the high cost and a lack of medical insurance that covers prescription drugs. Moreover, your Committee finds that oftentimes people who go without necessary medications are the ones more likely to visit an emergency room for medical treatment thus further increasing the cost of medical care. Your Committee believes that this measure will help to address these problems.

Your Committee has amended this measure by substituting the terms "pharmacist" and "physician" with "pharmacy" and "practitioner", respectively.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 411, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 411, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing.