Legislative Updates

(3/15/2023)
The Health and Homelessness (HLT) committee recommended for SB693 be passed with amendments. To stay informed on the latest developments, please click here.

(2/22/2023)

SB693 passed unanimously without any reservations or oppositions with ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO PAGES of support! SB693 will move forward as a single bill representative of HB1221/SB165. SB693 will now be referred to a joint hearing between Consumer Protection (CPN) Committee and Ways and Means (WAM) Committee. 


(1/27/2023)

Healthcare committees likely to be scheduled for the week of January 30th. To submit testimony for SB 165: Payment for Pharmacist Services, an account needs to be created at the Hawai'i State Legislature website. You will NOT be able to submit a testimony until hearings are scheduled. The turnaround time between the hearing notices being released and the hearings themselves is a minimum of 72 hours in the Senate and 48 hours in the House. 

Testimonies must be submitted 24 hours prior to hearings so the legislators have time to review. In summary, the path of least resistance is to create a testimony ASAP so that you are ready to submit once the hearing is scheduled. An email reminder will be sent once a hearing is scheduled for either bill so that you may promptly submit a testimony.  

It’s time for pharmacists in Hawaii to work together to be financially compensated for the services we are trained to provide (and already provide!) as medication experts. Let's working together to advance pharmacy practice across the state. 

Information sheet about the initiative including resources to stay involved during the 2023 Legislative Session. 


(1/23/2023)

SB 165: Payment for Pharmacist Services was introduced in the Senate on Friday, January 20th by Senator San Buenaventura, the Chair of Health and Human Services. HPhA expects a companion bill to be introduced this week from the House but seeking to engage Hawaii pharmacists in preparation for the bill(s) moving through committees. Bills are publicly available to view from the state legislature homepage where you can also track the measures in the coming months.



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Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Pharmacists, Patients

Decision in Rutledge v. PCMA Validates State Efforts to Rein in PBMs

The Supreme Court of the United States issued on December 10, 2020 its landmark decision in Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA), ruling in favor of an Arkansas law to prevent abusive PBM payment practices. 

The unanimous (8 to 0) decision ruled in favor of the interests of patients and community pharmacies, who have been fighting for years to regulate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the controversial middlemen that manage prescription drug benefits for health insurers, Medicare Part D drug plans, and large employers. With this ruling, states will have greater authority to protect their local businesses and their patients from PBM overreach.

The Arkansas law upheld by the Supreme court prohibits PBMs from reimbursing local pharmacies at a lower rate than what the pharmacies pay to fill prescriptions. PBMs often profit by reimbursing pharmacies at less than a pharmacy’s cost to acquire a drug. This is just one of the many ways the PBM system puts pharmacies and patients at a disadvantage. 

 12/10/2020