STAND. COM. REP. NO. 68

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 72

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 72 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHARMACY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require pharmacy technicians to be registered with the Board of Pharmacy by January 1, 2026;

(2) Impose a duty on pharmacists-in-charge to report violations conducted by registered pharmacy technicians; and

(3) Specify that supervising registered pharmacists are responsible for the actions of registered pharmacy technicians and pharmacy interns.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo; KTA Pharmacy; Hawaii Pharmacists Association; and seven individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Walgreen Co.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii is the only state that does not maintain a list of practicing pharmacy technicians, leaving a significant gap in oversight that can impact patient safety. Your Committee further finds that pharmacy technicians are a distinct category of health care professionals whose functions may include dispensing medications, processing insurance claims, and administering vaccines to patients. This measure will support public health and safety by ensuring pharmacy technicians have the appropriate background and supervision for their essential health care activities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding a definition of "auxiliary pharmacy personnel" for personnel that may be at the pharmacy, but whose duties are clerical in nature and excluding these individuals from the definition of "pharmacy technician";

(2) Clarifying the duties of registered pharmacy technicians and what constitutes supervision of a registered pharmacy technician by a registered pharmacist;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 72, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 72, 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,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair