STAND. COM. REP. NO. 529

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 72

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 72, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHARMACY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require, beginning January 1, 2026, that:

(A) Pharmacy technicians be registered with the Board of Pharmacy; and

(B) Pharmacies only employ registered pharmacy technicians to perform pharmacy technician duties;

(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 University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo; Hawaii Pharmacists Association; Walgreen Co.; KTA Pharmacy; Molokaʻi Drugs, Inc.; and seven individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Pharmacy.

Your Committee finds that pharmacy technicians play an essential role in supporting pharmacists and ensuring the safe and efficient delivery of medications. Under the supervision of a pharmacist in the community setting, pharmacy technicians can fill and dispense medications, process insurance claims, and with additional training, administer vaccinations. In the hospital setting, pharmacy technicians are relied upon to support the compounding of intravenous medications and to stock medication cabinet and other medication delivery systems.

Your Committee further finds that Hawaii is the only state in the nation without an active and managed registry of practicing pharmacy technicians. This lack of oversight presents challenges in ensuring consistent training, competency, and accountability within the pharmacy technician workforce. As such, your Committee finds that the regulation of pharmacy technicians is reasonably necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the consumers of this State.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifically exempting this measure from the requirements for a sunrise analysis by the Office of the Auditor; and

(2) 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 Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 72, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 72, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair