[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 243 (Monday, December 18, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79074-79075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-32066]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health 
Affairs, TRICARE Management Activity (TMA), DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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    In accordance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
Health Affairs (OASD(HA)), TMA, announces the proposed extension of a 
public information collection and seeks public comment on the 
provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
the burden of the information collection; (c) ways of enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received February 
16, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations on the information 
collection should be sent to TMA, 5111 Leesburg Pike, Suite 810, Falls 
Church, VA 22041-3206, ATTN: LTC Thomas Williams.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection, please write to the above address or 
call LTC Thomas Williams at (703) 681-3636.
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Formulary Survey of

[[Page 79075]]

Prescribers in Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) and TRICARE 
Contracts.
    Needs and Uses: A confidential survey will be completed at two 
points in time, before and after the implementation of the new uniform 
formulary program by DoD, by prescribers working for MTFs and TRICARE 
Contractors. The two surveys will collect information which will be 
used to assess their experiences prescribing formulary and non-
formulary medications. This information will inform future 
implementation and enforcement of the uniform formulary system within 
the Military Health System (MHS) as mandated by Congress.
    Affected Public: Individuals--MTSs and TRICARE contract providers.
    Annual Burden Hours: 330.
    Number of Respondents: 1000 per survey; 2000 total.
    Respondents per Respondent: 1 per person.
    Average Burden Per Response: 20 minutes per survey.
    Frequency: Two times; before and after the implementation of the 
uniformed formulary.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Summary of Information Collection

    National Defense Research Institute (NDRI), an OSD-sponsored 
federally funded research and development center at RAND, will 
undertake an evaluation of the DoD's Uniform Formulary Program for TMA, 
focusing on the issues identified in the legislation and which address 
the interests of Congress in MHS formulary management, and producing 
the two required reports in Congress. NDRI will collect the information 
and generate the analyses necessary to meet the requirements outlined 
in Section 701 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2000.
    Activities include the collection and analysis of information 
obtained confidentially at two points in time from prescribers 
(physicians, physician, assistants, and nurse practitioners) within the 
MTF and TRICARE contract providers: prior to and following complete 
implementation of a uniform formulary. Information will be collected on 
the extent to which the prescribing activities and behaviors of current 
prescribers within TRICARE and the MTFs are affected by the 
implementation of a uniform formulary. Furthermore, the survey will ask 
prescribers their thoughts about the impact of a uniform formularly on 
the aggregate cost, quality and accessibility of health care provided 
to covered beneficiaries. Finally, this effort will also gather 
information on the prescribers' beliefs and attitudes regarding the 
rationale behind implementing an integrated formulary system within the 
Military Health System (MHS).
    The evaluation reports will address all the legislative 
requirements, which include providing information about the opinions of 
prescribers about formulary development (i.e. it use and its 
usefulness) the impact of formulary restrictions on prescribers' 
clinical decision-making, and the prescribers' view of the impact of 
formulary restrictions on the cost, quality and accessibility of 
healthcare provided to MHS beneficiaries.

    Dated: December 11, 2000.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 00-32066 Filed 12-15-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-10-M