04/24/2003 03:01 PM House HES

HB 270-PHARMACIST LICENSING                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Number 1883                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced  that the next order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO.  270,  "An  Act relating  to  the  licensure  of                                                               
pharmacists; and providing for an effective date."                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Number 1829                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
ROBIN PHILLIPS,  Staff to Representative Dahlstrom,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  presented  HB  270   on  behalf  of  Representative                                                               
Dahlstrom, and answered  questions from the committee.   She told                                                               
the committee  that by  statute the  Board of  Pharmacy currently                                                               
cannot deny  a license to an  applicant who may have  a checkered                                                               
background,  felony drug  conviction,  or a  drug abuse  problem.                                                               
Public safety  and the pharmacy  profession are  both compromised                                                               
in  this situation.   The  bill puts  into statute  a fix  to the                                                               
problem and  would allow for  the board to  deny a license  to an                                                               
applicant  with a  criminal  background.   All  members that  the                                                               
sponsor has spoken with agree with  the changes to the statute as                                                               
they  are related  in HB  270.   Ms. Phillips  said she  believes                                                               
there  is  a local  pharmacist  available  to provide  testimony.                                                               
Also, Barry Christianson who is  with the pharmacy association is                                                               
on-line to  answer any  questions the members  may have  about HB
.  She  told the committee that unfortunately  the state Board                                                               
of Pharmacy has  a meeting in Anchorage and the  members were not                                                               
available to  testify today;  however, a  letter of  support from                                                               
the board is in the bill packet.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 1777                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON  asked if language  was unintentionally left  out of                                                               
the statutes.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. PHILLIPS responded  that is correct and HB 270  will fix that                                                               
problem.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON asked  if the  language that  HB 270  will                                                               
insert into  statute, is  the same language  of other  medical or                                                               
health-related boards.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. PHILLIPS responded  that she could not  answer that question,                                                               
but  would provide  an answer  later.   However, she  pointed out                                                               
that  the   language  is  the  same   for  imposing  disciplinary                                                               
sanctions on a current licensee.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON responded  that he  is satisfied  that the                                                               
language is  the same as  that for the  State Medical Board.   He                                                               
stated that he wanted to be sure that fact is in the record.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CINDY  AUDET, Hospital  Pharmacist,  Bartlett Regional  Hospital,                                                               
testified in  support of  HB 270.   She  told the  committee that                                                               
while  she is  a  hospital pharmacist  she  is representing  only                                                               
herself in  her testimony.  Ms.  Audet said she is  supportive of                                                               
HB  270  because  the  revised   language  gives  the  board  the                                                               
authority  to deny  a  license  to an  applicant  to protect  the                                                               
public.  She added that  there is currently a pharmacist shortage                                                               
and it  is predicted that trend  will continue for at  least five                                                               
to ten more  years.  That is important to  note, because she sees                                                               
this change  in law as  a way  to streamline the  application and                                                               
licensing process.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Number 1653                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BARRY  CHRISTIANSON,  Pharmacist; Chair,  Legislative  Committee,                                                               
Alaska Pharmacists  Association, testified in support  of HB 270.                                                               
He told  members that he was  on the committee when  the statutes                                                               
were redone  for the pharmacy  practices in  the late 1990s.   He                                                               
said none  of the pharmacists were  lawyers so the result  was an                                                               
omission  of  some  key  wording.     He  thanked  Representative                                                               
Dahlstrom for  introducing this bill with  this important statute                                                               
change.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 1601                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  moved to  report HB  270 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 270 was reported out of the                                                               
House Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.