STAND. COM. REP. NO. 475

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 693

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 693 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHARMACISTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to mandate that private and public health plans reimburse participating registered pharmacists for services provided within their scope of practice.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System, Board of Pharmacy, Walgreen Co., Hawaii Pharmacists Association, AARP Hawai‘i, National Community Pharmacists Association, American Pharmacists Association, Times Pharmacy, Hawai‘i Pacific Health, The Queen's Health System, KTA Super Stores, and twenty-nine individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that there is a shortage of physicians statewide. Pharmacists can help mitigate this shortage by providing health education and medication utilization techniques. This measure will expand access to quality health care across the state, especially in rural areas.

Your Committee notes the testimony of the Department of Human Services (DHS), which testified that due to the federal public notice requirements and the time needed to draft and discuss the provisions of this measure with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, DHS requests an effective date that will allow at least six months for DHS to submit necessary State Plan Amendments to implement this measure. Your Committee requests that your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means, should it choose to hear this measure, further examine this issue raised by DHS.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 693, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 693, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair