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 S.B. No. 1119 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to permanently allow electronic record keeping by drug dispensers and for electronic prescriptions from practitioners to dispensers.

Your Committee has received testimony in favor of this measure from the State Department of Health, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Hawaii Pharmacists Association, and Kaiser Permanente.

Your Committee finds that electronic prescribing reduces medication errors and prescription fill time as a result of complete and legible prescriptions. The anticipated reduction in medication misadventures due to transcription errors will benefit the entire State. Electronic prescribing systems also place drug plan formularies at the prescriber's fingertips. This information aids the practitioner in appropriate drug product selection at the time of prescribing, which saves time, provides for greater formulary compliance, and reduces the cost of health care.

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 S.B. No. 1119, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1119, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.