STAND. COM. REP. NO. 751

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 602

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 602, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish permitting and education requirements for pharmacists ordering or collecting specimens for certain diagnostic tests or tests waived pursuant to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA); and

(2) Expand the definition of "practice of pharmacy" to include the ordering of certain tests and collecting specimens for certain diagnostic or CLIA-waived tests.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy; Board of Pharmacy; and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that there is a severe shortage of health care professionals in the State. Pharmacists can help fill the void of medical services, as pharmacies are geographically dispersed throughout the community with extended hours of operation, making access to health care provided through pharmacies convenient for patients in each locality. Furthermore, patients have established relationships of trust with and recognize pharmacists as health care professionals. Pharmacists possess the skills and knowledge necessary to perform diagnostic and CLIA-waived tests, which are non-technical and have a low risk for erroneous results. This measure expands the "practice of pharmacy" to include the performance of certain diagnostic or CLIA-waived tests to expand access to care across the State.

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

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. 602, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 602, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair