STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2758

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2030

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2030, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to;

(1) Require a prescriber to offer a prescription of certain drugs under certain circumstances related to opioid overdose;

(2) Require a prescriber to offer patient education under certain circumstances related to opioid overdose;

(3) Exempt veterinarians or prescriptions for animals;

(4) Require a pharmacist who dispenses a prescription order for an opioid to notify the individual of the potential dangers of a high dose of an opioid and to offer to dispense to the individual an opioid antagonist; provided that the individual is prescribed specific opioids at specified doses;

(5) Exempt patients in hospice or palliative care, residents of veterans community living centers, and patients in inpatient or outpatient care; and

(6) Require a pharmacist to notify an individual receiving an opioid antagonist of the availability of generic and brand-name opiate antagonists.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Kaiser Permanente and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and State of Hawaii Board of Pharmacy.

Your Committee finds that there is an opioid abuse crisis in the State. Prevention and access to treatment for opioid addiction and overdose reversal drugs are critical to fighting the opioid epidemic. This measure will require prescribers and pharmacists to offer life-saving medication and education on opioid overdose prevention and help combat the opioid abuse crisis in the State.

Your Committee notes that there is concern from the State of Hawaii Board of Pharmacy that not all pharmacists have completed or elected to complete the required training program related to prescribing opioid antagonists, including Naloxone.

Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting a sedative drug and gabapentin from the list of controlled substances.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2030, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2030, S.D. 2.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair