05/19/2003 08:03 AM Senate L&C

                  HB 270-PHARMACIST LICENSING                                                                               
                                                                                                                              
CHAIR CON BUNDE announced HB 270 to be up for consideration.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ROBIN PHILLIPS,  staff  to  Representative Nancy  Dahlstrom,                                                               
sponsor  of  HB  270,  explained  that  currently  the  Board  of                                                               
Pharmacy cannot  deny a license  to an  applicant who may  have a                                                               
questioned background,  like a felony  drug conviction or  a drug                                                               
abuse  problem.   That  puts  public  safety   and  the  pharmacy                                                               
profession   at  risk.   The  right   to  deny   a  license   was                                                               
unintentionally left  out of the  statute when it  was originally                                                               
drafted. HB 270  gives the Board the authority to  deny a license                                                               
to  a  new  applicant  if  the  board  finds  the  applicant  has                                                               
committed fraud, deceit, falsely  advertised, been convicted of a                                                               
felony or  is guilty  of other offenses  listed in  AS 08.80.261.                                                               
All   members  of   the  Board   of  Pharmacy   and  the   Alaska                                                               
Pharmaceutical Association support this legislation.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. MARGARET  SODDEN, President,  Alaska Board of  Pharmacy, said                                                               
this  bill  really  needs  to   pass  because  the  board  cannot                                                               
currently deny  a license  to someone  who does  not have  a good                                                               
background.  She added  that a  person  would have  the right  to                                                               
appeal a denial.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. BARRY CHRISTENSEN,  Chairman, Alaska Pharmacists Association,                                                               
supported HB 270 for all the reasons previously stated.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR RALPH  SEEKINS moved to  pass HB 270 from  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the attached  zero fiscal  note.                                                               
SENATORS STEVENS,  FRENCH, SEEKINS,  and BUNDE  voted yea  and HB
 passed from committee.