STAND. COM. REP. NO. 738

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 585

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 585, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REMOTE DISPENSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Authorize remote dispensing pharmacies located at facilities operated by a health maintenance organization to operate and provide medications to patients served at the facility;

     (2)  Clarify that a remote dispensing pharmacy may provide medications to patients with health insurance coverage who reside on an island without a pharmacy or in remote areas where there are no pharmacies within a five mile radius of an existing pharmacy; and

     (3)  Clarify that a remote dispensing pharmacy may continue to operate in the same location if a pharmacy is subsequently established on the same island as the remote dispensing pharmacy or in the remote area that is not within a five mile radius of an existing pharmacy; provided that the remote dispensing pharmacy shall no longer be authorized to dispense controlled substances.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Board of Pharmacy, HMSA, Kaiser Permanente, Straub Clinic and Hospital, Walgreens, Hawaii Alliance of Retired Americans, and one hundred eighteen private citizens.  Comments were submitted by the Department of Human Services.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that this measure would allow individuals in remote areas to gain access to their prescription medications in their own communities.  Through the use of advanced telecommunications technology, pharmacists are able to dispense medications to patients at a distance, saving patients both time and money for travel expenses.  Your Committee finds that this measure will help expand access to quality health care to primarily rural and medically underserved areas, while providing appropriate safeguards for the dispensing of controlled substances.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 585, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 585, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair