Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2140, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a continuing education requirement for pharmacist license renewal.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Board of Pharmacy, Department of Health, Kaiser Permanente, Hawaii Pharmacists Association, and Hawaii Medical Service Association.

In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration approved four hundred sixty-six new drugs. The dynamic nature of the pharmaceutical industry requires that pharmacists keep abreast of new developments in the profession and the industry, particularly with respect to new drugs and new drug therapies, and changes in the evidence-based use of drugs. Consumers depend upon pharmacists to be knowledgeable about the efficacious and safe use of prescription drugs and to monitor drug regimens for drug interactions, adverse drug effects, and contraindications.

This measure will help to ensure that pharmacists remain current in their professional knowledge and skills by requiring that pharmacist licensees complete thirty hours of continuing education each licensing biennium as a condition of license renewal. With the enactment of this measure, Hawaii will no longer be the only state in the nation without a continuing education requirement for pharmacist licensees.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2140, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2140, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.