A message from our HPhA President, Corrie Sanders (1/23/2023):

The Hawaii Pharmacists Association is thrilled to announce that SB 165: Payment for Pharmacist Services was introduced in the Senate on Friday, January 20th, 2023, by Senator San Buenaventura, the Chair of Health and Human Services. We expect a companion bill to be introduced this week from the House, but would like to engage Hawaii pharmacists now to prepare for the bill(s) moving through committees as soon as next week. Bills are publicly available to view from the state legislature homepage where you can also track the measures in the coming months.

Links are attached where you will find an information sheet about the initiative including resources to stay involved during the 2023 Legislative Session. Additionally, HPhA will be hosting a Legislative Open Forum via Zoom this Thursday, January 26th at 6:30PM. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about this bill after review, please plan to attend.

I would like to thank our HPhA Government Affairs team that has dedicated hours of personal time coordinating meetings with legislators, payers, providers, state associations, and patients over the past YEAR. It’s truly remarkable that a volunteer association is proposing provider status legislation that would not only change the opportunities for our profession but improve quality and access to care for patients across the state of Hawaii. I have high hopes for Hawaii pharmacists if we can continue to work together and showcase the skillset of pharmacists in various care settings.

As you’ll see mentioned on Thursday’s open forum announcement, 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. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday night and working together to advance pharmacy practice across the state.