STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2803

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2056

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2056, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHARMACIST LICENSURE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to broaden the pharmacy licensure practical experience requirements to include experience obtained in United States territories and the District of Columbia and to remove the requirement that the supervised practical experience must take place in a pharmacy.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from CVS Caremark/Longs Drugs, Kaiser Permanente, the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo College of Pharmacy Class of 2013, and the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo College of Pharmacy Class of 2011.  Testimony in support of the intent of this measure with amendments was submitted by the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo College of Pharmacy and the Board of Pharmacy.  Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committees find that the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo College of Pharmacy is the only accredited pharmacy program in the Pacific Basin and that its students come from many territories and countries in the Pacific region.  They represent a range of cultures and will practice pharmacy in a variety of healthcare settings. 

Your Committees find that it is important for the College of Pharmacy's practical experience program to reflect what will be the reality of practice for many of its students.  This practical experience should be allowed to include practice under a duly registered or licensed pharmacist in the United States territories or the District of Columbia and practice in pharmaceutical settings beyond the traditional pharmacy, including clinics and acute care facilities.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by replacing its contents with S.B. No. 2390, S.D. 2, which similarly broadens the pharmacy licensure practical experience requirements, but also clarifies that the pharmacist supervising an applicant's practical experience must be registered or licensed in the state, territory, or district where the experience is obtained.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2056, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2056, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Higher Education,

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair