STAND. COM. REP. NO.  596

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 667

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 667 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to mitigate the risk of addiction, overdose, and death associated with use of prescription opioids by:

     (1)  Requiring execution of an agreement documenting informed consent for treatment protocol between a patient and a medical practitioner who prescribes opioids in circumstances that carry a heightened risk of dependency; and

     (2)  Limiting initial prescriptions for opioids to no more than a seven-day supply.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Early Childhood Action Strategy and an individual.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from The Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i.  The Department of Public Safety, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Hawaii College of Emergency Physicians, Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Maternal and Infant Health Collaborative, The Queen's Health Systems, and Academy of Integrative Pain Management submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Authorizing an initial prescription of more than a seven-day supply of opioids for treatment of pain associated with a cancer diagnosis or pain experienced by a patient who is in palliative or hospice treatment, subject to documentation requirements;

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2090, to encourage further discussion; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and consistency.

     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. 667, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 667, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair