04/12/2010 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

              HB 277-EMERGENCY USE OF EPINEPHRINE                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:33:39 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DAVIS announced  consideration of  HB 277.  [CSHB 277(HSS)                                                               
was before  the committee.] She said  her intent was to  move the                                                               
bill from committee once public testimony was closed.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:34:09 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE PEGGY  WILSON, sponsor  of HB  277 said  this bill                                                               
allows  individuals  who  have   successfully  passed  a  program                                                               
approved  by  the  [Department  of  Health  and  Social  Services                                                               
(DHSS)] to  purchase and administer  epinephrine in  an emergency                                                               
situation. Currently in  Alaska only persons who  have an allergy                                                               
can receive a prescription for  an "epi pen," but individuals who                                                               
are responsible  for others such  as camp  councilors, wilderness                                                               
guides, and bus drivers don't have that option.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:35:16 PM                                                                                                                    
JILL  LEWIS,   Deputy  Director,   Division  of   Public  Health,                                                               
Department  of  Health  and  Social  Services  (DHSS),  said  the                                                               
administration's position on HB 277  is neutral. She informed the                                                               
committee  that epinephrine  is inherently  safe especially  when                                                               
administered by  auto injector,  which is  commonly known  as the                                                               
epi  pen.  These  are  routinely prescribed  to  persons  with  a                                                               
history of severe allergic reactions  and the expectation is that                                                               
they will  administer it to  themselves. Special training  is not                                                               
required   but  initial   demonstrations  and   instructions  are                                                               
commonly Epinephrine  ampoules are  currently used  by wilderness                                                               
medical associates for  mountain guides in part due  to the lower                                                               
cost and portability.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Under  HB  277  DHSS  would  adopt  standards  for  approval  for                                                               
training  programs to  use epinephrine  in emergency  situations.                                                               
The  standards  will  be  different for  using  epi  pens  versus                                                               
ampoules.  Several  national   training  programs  already  exist                                                               
including  those provided  by the  American  Red Cross,  American                                                               
Heart  Association,   and  Wilderness  Medical   Associates.  The                                                               
program  would provide  training on  symptom recognition,  proper                                                               
storage of  the drug, and emergency  follow-up procedures. People                                                               
who  pass  an  approved  training program  could  then  obtain  a                                                               
prescription.  DHSS  submitted a  zero  fiscal  note because  the                                                               
Division  of  Public  Health already  has  an  emergency  medical                                                               
services  unit  that  approves  similar  programs  for  EMTs  and                                                               
instructors. This existing  resource could be used  and would add                                                               
little to the workload.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:37:59 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR PASKVAN  questioned why,  given the  reason for  the zero                                                               
fiscal note, the  administration has taken a  neutral position on                                                               
the bill.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS. LEWIS replied, "That's the position of the administration."                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PASKVAN said he doesn't understand.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. LEWIS  responded this  would be for  non professionals  so it                                                               
would be a little different than what they're currently doing.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:39:17 PM                                                                                                                    
DON HUDSON, Emergency  Room Doctor, said he trains a  lot of EMTS                                                               
and he  sits on  the ACEMS  Board that looks  at what  the Alaska                                                               
Council  on Emergency  Medicine  advises the  governor about.  He                                                               
said he's been prescribing this  drug for years and believes it's                                                               
a good idea to put it  in statute. While the ampoules are lighter                                                               
both  are very  simple to  use and  the chance  of someone  doing                                                               
anything that could cause harm  is infinitesimally small. There's                                                               
nothing worse than  watching someone who has  never been allergic                                                               
to anything get a bee sting  or eat something they're allergic to                                                               
and then  swell up  to the  point they  can't breathe.  Having an                                                               
ampoule  or epi  pen available  in these  situations isn't  a bad                                                               
idea, he said.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:41:12 PM                                                                                                                    
MICHAEL  DUNNING, Intern  for Representative  Peggy Wilson,  said                                                               
that  it sounds  as if  others have  covered everything  he would                                                               
have said about the bill. He  said he wanted to voice his support                                                               
for the bill.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:42:14 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DAVIS  closed public  testimony and asked  the will  of the                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  PASKVAN moved  to report  CS for  HB 277  from committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal  note(s).                                                               
There being  no objection,  CSHB 277(HSS)  moved from  the Senate                                                               
Health and Social Services Standing Committee.