[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 5, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70519-70520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20564]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Response to Solicitation of Comments on Professional 
Organizations and State Governments Requirements for Poison Control 
Center Certification

    A notice was published in the Federal Register by the Health 
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on April 8, 2005 (Volume 
70, No. 67 pp. 18036-18037), soliciting public comment regarding the 
guidelines by which the Secretary shall approve professional 
organizations and State governments as having in effect standards for 
Poison Control Center (PCC) certification. Respondents were asked to 
submit recommended guidelines for approving professional organizations 
and State governments' standards per Public Law 108-194 section 1273 
(c). Written comments were to be post marked no later than June 5, 2005 
for consideration.
    The HRSA was seeking comment on the following issues:
    1. Modeling the guidelines after certification requirements that 
are currently being used to certify PCCs;
    2. Elements of approval that the guidelines should include and 
justification of the elements;
    3. Guidelines applying to all State governments;
    4. Guidelines applying to all professional organizations; and
    5. Inclusion or re-certification as an element of certification.
    Fifty-two (52) comments were received. Fifty-one (51) comments were 
submitted by poison control centers (PCCs), 15 of which came from the 
same center. All of the poison centers are members of the American 
Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) and certified by this 
association. One (1) comment was also submitted from a professional 
organization whose membership includes staff from poison control 
centers. Following is a summary of the comments received and the HRSA's 
recommendations.
    While the HRSA did not receive any specific comments on the issues 
requested in the Federal Register Notice sited above, 50 comments 
indicated a strong advisement for the HRSA to continue to accept the 
present certification process instituted by the AAPCC as the single 
certifying body for poison control centers. These respondents concurred 
that the current certification structure is ``fair, cost-efficient and 
already subscribed to by nearly all of poison centers in the United 
States.'' Additional responses concluded that resources used to 
develop, implement and maintain a new certification process would be 
duplicative and costly. Comments also suggested that the current 
certification process is used as a mechanism to maintain quality poison 
prevention education and treatment services.
    The legislation does not call for the HRSA to change the 
certification process, but does require the Secretary to approve 
standards for certification. Therefore, the HRSA was seeking public 
comment on what guidelines the HRSA should use for approving 
professional organizations and State governments' standards for 
certification.
    Of these 50 comments, an additional response indicated that if a 
State certification system were to be developed it should meet or 
exceed the certification criteria established by the AAPCC. There was 
one commenter in support of a State certification process. This 
commenter indicated that many States currently determine the healthcare 
standards of their residents and have the ability to employ 
certification standards for PCCs. In this response, it was also 
communicated that a State certification process should be developed and 
modeled after the

[[Page 70520]]

current certification process with the exception of the requirement 
``for nurse/pharmacist certification through AAPCC.''
    From the comments received, there is consensus support for the 
AAPCC certification program. The guidelines by which the Secretary 
shall approve a professional organization and/or State government as 
having standards for certification will be that any certification 
program must meet or exceed current certification standards being used 
by AAPCC to certify PCCs.
    Send comments to Maxine Jones, HRSA, HSB, Division of Healthcare 
Preparedness, Healthcare Systems Bureau, Room 13-103, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.

    Dated: November 28, 2006.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-20564 Filed 12-4-06; 8:45 am]
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