03/24/2023 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

         HB  56-CONTROLLED SUB. DATA: EXEMPT ANIMAL RX                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:46:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
VICE CHAIR  RUFFRIDGE announced that  the next order  of business                                                               
would  be  HOUSE  BILL  NO.  56,  "An  Act  exempting  controlled                                                               
substances prescribed or dispensed by  a veterinarian to treat an                                                               
animal  from   the  requirements  of  the   controlled  substance                                                               
prescription database."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:46:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
VICE CHAIR RUFFRIDGE open public testimony on HB 56.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:47:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KRYSTAL  TODD,  Veterinarian  Technician, North  Pole  Veterinary                                                               
Hospital, expressed  the opinion that requiring  veterinarians to                                                               
be  a part  of the  Prescription Drug  Monitoring Program  (PDMP)                                                               
does  not   work  because  the   animal  patients  do   not  have                                                               
identification  such   as  Social  Security  numbers   and  birth                                                               
certificates.  She said that  veterinarians are not trained under                                                               
the Health  Insurance Portability and Accountability  Act [HIPAA]                                                               
and have  "no business"  looking through  the medical  records of                                                               
pet owners.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:49:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATRINA  BACKUS, DVM,  Medical  Director,  North Pole  Veterinary                                                               
Hospital, stated  that she has  practiced veterinary  medicine in                                                               
states  in addition  to  Alaska,  and most  other  states do  not                                                               
require veterinarians  to be a part  of PDMP.  She  said that the                                                               
medications being prescribed  to pets do not have a  high risk of                                                               
abuse  among humans.   She  reiterated that  veterinarians should                                                               
not be looking at the medical records of pet owners.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:51:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JAMES DELKER, DVM, Alaska Veterinary  Association, stated that he                                                               
has  been working  with the  Board of  Pharmacy since  2008 on  a                                                               
legislative solution to this issue,  and he expressed support for                                                               
the proposed  legislation, which would exempt  veterinarians from                                                               
PDMP.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:52:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
VICE CHAIR  RUFFRIDGE, after ascertaining  that there was  no one                                                               
else who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 56.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:52:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  moved to  report HB  56 out  of committee                                                               
with individual recommendations and  the accompanying zero fiscal                                                               
note.  There  being no objections, HB 56 was  reported out of the                                                               
House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.