RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL LICENSING.

Provides for renewable special purpose licensing of persons working at federally qualified health centers or Native Hawaiian Health System sites.

RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL LICENSING.

Allows out-of-state licensed dentists to obtain a license to practice dentistry in Hawaii if certain criteria are met.

RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

Authorizes DHS, pursuant to the Hawaii Rx program, to purchase prescription drugs from and negotiate manufacturer's rebates with Canadian pharmaceutical companies for the benefit of non-Medicaid eligible persons and government program beneficiaries.

RELATING TO MEDICINE AND SURGERY.

Allows licensure of applicants who served a residency in a program approved by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; clarifies licensure requirements that foreign applicants for an MD license have at least two years of residency in a program accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or if outside of Canada, a program substantially equivalent.

RELATING TO CHILDREN'S PRODUCT SAFETY.

Prohibits the use of unsafe children's products. Prohibits child care facilities from using or having on the facility premises unsafe children's products.

RELATING TO OPTOMETRY.

Allows therapeutically certified optometrists to prescribe and use, under certain restrictions, pharmaceuticals approved by the optometry board; continues to prohibit the use of controlled substances.

RELATING TO NURSES.

Revises licensing and other provisions regulating the nursing profession.

RELATING TO PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING SERVICES.

Establishes the Public Health Nursing Services Program, and sets forth the roles and functions of the Program in the delivery of direct clinical nursing services.

RELATING TO NURSES.

Establishes an advisory committee to advise the board of nursing on issues relating to the formulary composed of three persons licensed as advanced practice registered nurses with prescriptive authority under chapter 457, three persons licensed as physicians under chapter 453, and three persons licensed as pharmacists under chapter 461.

RELATING TO NURSING.

Establishes a nursing loan program to provide loans to nursing candidates. (The Health Committee will be using this bill as a vehicle to address the nursing loan program. The proposed SD1 is available in room 220 and online at www.capitol.hawaii.gov.)

RELATING TO PAIN MANAGEMENT.

Requires physicians renewing their licenses to have completed at least three hours of pain management courses.