STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1080

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1420

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1420, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Remove restrictions placed on licensed medical physicians when prescribing the drug they decide is best suited to treat the patient's diagnosed condition; and

(2) Prohibit the Department of Human Services (DHS) from restricting payment for access to psychotropic medications that are not on a pre-authorized list.

The Hawaii Disability Rights Center, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill – Oahu, Mental Health Association in Hawaii, and several concerned individuals supported this bill. The Department of Health and DHS opposed this bill.

Your Committees find that mandating drugs from a pre-approved list may be a hindrance to licensed medical physicians when treating their patients.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Establishing a task force to assist DHS and review the removal of restrictions on licensed medical physicians to prescribe psychotropic drugs to their patients;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2006; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity,

consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1420, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1420, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services,

 

____________________________

ALEX M. SONSON, Chair

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair