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. 2798, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to expand the scope of the practice of pharmacy to include the intranasal delivery of drugs and the oral or intranasal delivery of vaccines.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, and MedImmune, Inc. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Medical Association.

Your Committee finds that under the current law, a properly trained pharmacist is authorized to administer drugs both orally or by injection and vaccinations by injection, but neither may be administered by intranasal delivery. Advances in medicine have resulted in the introduction of additional methods for administering drugs and vaccines; however, the law has failed to similarly evolve. During the recent outbreak of influenza there was a shortage of the influenza vaccination by injection. Although intranasal influenza vaccines were readily available, the outbreak was exacerbated by the inability of pharmacists to administer the vaccination by intranasal delivery. Therefore, your Committee determines that this expansion of the scope of the practice of pharmacy to allow pharmacists to administer drugs by intranasal delivery and vaccines orally and by intranasal delivery will provide increased access for patients to necessary drugs and immunizations.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive change for purposes of clarity 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. 2798, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2798, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.