Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1209, S.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to increase access to prescription drugs for all of Hawaii residents by establishing a pharmaceutical management council to consider strategies to manage the rising cost of prescription drugs.

The Hawaii Government Employees Association supported this bill. The Department to Human Services and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America opposed this bill. The Hawaii Medical Service Association provided comments.

Your Committee finds that many people in underserved areas of the state are under a great deal of stress in dealing with the problem of getting the prescription drugs they need due to high prices and lack of convenient pharmaceutical outlets. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in underserved areas are established medical facilities that could help to alleviate this problem with their ability to procure prescription drugs at lower prices as well as their location nearer to those in need.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by adding a new part to appropriate funds for FQHC that would:

(1) Subsidize the cost of prescription drugs purchased

(2) Subsidize services to procure free prescription drugs

(3) Support the Medicine Bank in collecting and distributing

Additionally this bill has been amended by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2005;

(2) Inserting a sunset date of June 30, 2008, for the

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity,

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1209, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1209, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.