(1) The commission shall appoint a patient qualification review committee to serve at its pleasure. The patient qualification review committee shall be comprised of:

(a) A physician licensed to practice medicine in Washington state and specializing in the practice of ophthalmology;

(b) A physician licensed to practice medicine in Washington state and specializing in the subspecialty of medical oncology;

(c) A physician licensed to practice medicine in Washington state and specializing in the practice of psychiatry; and

(d) A physician licensed to practice medicine in Washington state and specializing in the practice of radiology.

Members of the committee shall be compensated at the rate of fifty dollars per day for each day spent in the performance of their official duties, and shall receive reimbursement for their travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

(2) The patient qualification review committee shall review all applicants for the controlled substance therapeutic research program and their licensed practitioners and certify their participation in the program.

(3) The patient qualification review committee and the commission shall insure that the privacy of individuals who participate in the controlled substance therapeutic research program is protected by withholding from all persons not connected with the conduct of the research the names and other identifying characteristics of such individuals. Persons authorized to engage in research under the controlled substance therapeutic research program may not be compelled in any civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other proceeding to identify the individuals who are the subjects of research for which the authorization was granted, except to the extent necessary to permit the commission to determine whether the research is being conducted in accordance with the authorization.

(4) The patient qualification review committee may include other disease groups for participation in the controlled substances therapeutic research program after pertinent medical data have been presented by a practitioner to both the committee and the commission, and after approval for such participation has been granted pursuant to pertinent rules promulgated by the United States drug enforcement agency, the food and drug administration, and the national institute on drug abuse.