[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74711-74712]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31622]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0646]


Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. 3501-21), this notice announces that the Veterans Health 
Administration (VHA), Department of Veterans Affairs, has submitted the 
collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes 
the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and 
burden and includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 23, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY OF THE SUBMISSION CONTACT: Denise 
McLamb, Records Management Service (005E3), Department of Veterans 
Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420, (202) 273-8030, 
FAX (202) 273-5981 or e-mail to: [email protected]. Please 
refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0646.''
    Send comments and recommendations concerning any aspect of the 
information collection to VA's OMB Desk Officer, OMB Human Resources 
and Housing Branch, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, 
Washington, DC 20503, (202) 395-7316. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 
2900-0646'' in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Medication Prescribed by Non-VA Physicians; VA Transitional 
Pharmacy Benefit, VA Form 10-0411.
    OMB Control Number: 2900-0646.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Under existing law and regulations, a veteran desiring 
medical care from VA must enroll in VA's health

[[Page 74712]]

care system. When a veteran first enrolls in the VA system, and 
requests an appointment for care, VA schedules an appointment for a 
visit with a primary care physician. The primary care physician 
generally learns from the veteran what medication the veteran is 
taking, if any, assesses the need for the medication and writes 
prescriptions for any needed medication. Those prescriptions written by 
the VA physician are filled by a VA pharmacy. In recent years, there 
has been an increase in the enrollment of veterans into the health care 
system to obtain pharmacy benefits at no cost or at a reasonable cost. 
With the dramatically increased enrollment, VA has been unable to 
provide all enrolled veterans with health care services in a timely 
manner. Many of those veterans have prescriptions, written by non-VA 
physicians, that VA primary care physicians may subsequently confirm 
and renew when the veterans are able to have initial primary care 
visits. In an effort to ease financial burden on enrolled veterans 
currently waiting lengthy periods of time for their initial primary 
care visits, VA will provide these veterans with medication prior to 
their initial primary care visits at VA if these veterans present valid 
prescriptions from the non-VA physicians. VA will fill prescriptions 
written by non-VA physicians only for a period of time such veterans 
are awaiting a scheduled appointment with a VA health care provider. VA 
Form 10-0411, VA Transitional Pharmacy Benefit will be used to collect 
the data necessary to safely administer these medications.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. The Federal Register Notice with a 
60-day comment period soliciting comments on this collection of 
information was published on October 7, 2003, at pages 57955-57956.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 30,287 hours.
    Estimated Average Burden Per Respondent: 10 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: One time.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 363,446.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 181,723.

    Dated: December 11, 2003.

    By direction of the Secretary.
Jacqueline Parks,
IT Specialist, Records Management Service.
[FR Doc. 03-31622 Filed 12-23-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P