STAND. COM. REP. NO.  229

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 767

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 767 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRESCRIPTIVE AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to expand access for Hawaii residents to the full range of mental health treatments and services by authorizing qualified clinical psychologists who meet specified education and training requirements to prescribe psychotropic medications from a limited formulary and under a collaborative agreement with each patient's treating primary care provider or psychiatrist.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Center for Nursing, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Mental Health America of Hawaii, Big Island Substance Abuse Council, Hawaii Catholic Conference, Hawaii Psychological Association, PHOCUSED, The CHOW Project, American Organization of Nurse Executives Hawaii, Academy of Medical Psychology, and many individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, Psychologists Opposed to Prescription Privileges for Psychologists, and many individuals.  The Department of Health, Board of Psychology, and an individual submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying requirements for the collaborative agreement between a prescribing psychologist and the patient's primary care provider or psychiatrist, including limitations on prescriptive authority and specific protocols for prescribing to vulnerable patient populations;

     (2)  Increasing the minimum clinical experience requirement for prescriptive authority privileges from 400 hours completed within a 48 month period to 800 hours completed within a 56 month period;

     (3)  Requiring a patient's treating primary care provider or psychiatrist who is party to a collaborative agreement with a prescribing psychologist to review all medication orders at least once per month and to review any laboratory or other tests as they become available;

     (4)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2090, to encourage further discussion; and

     (5)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity and consistency.

     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. 767, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 767, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair