STAND. COM. REP. NO.  468-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2776

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2776 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to prevent improper prescribing of pharmaceutical controlled substances by prohibiting pre-signed and predated prescriptions.

     The Department of Public Safety (DPS), Hawaii Pharmacists Association, Kaiser Permanente, and Longs Drugs Stores testified in support of this bill.  The Walgreen Company provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

     Your Committee acknowledges the comments by DPS that the provisions in this bill would provide DPS with greater flexibility to make corrections that are necessary to prevent the improper prescribing of pharmaceutical controlled substances in the state. 

     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 H.B. No. 2776, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2776, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair