[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 52 (Monday, March 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14372-14373]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05419]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

    In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 concerning opportunity for public comment on proposed 
collections of information, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration (SAMHSA) will publish periodic summaries of 
proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects 
or to obtain a copy of the information collection plans, call the 
SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer on (240) 276-1243.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collections of 
information are 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 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

Proposed Project: Notification of Intent To Use Schedule III, IV, or V 
Opioid Drugs for the Maintenance and Detoxification Treatment of Opiate 
Addiction by a ``Qualifying Other Practitioner''--(OMB No. 0930-0369)--
Revision

    The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 
(SAMHSA) is requesting a revision from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for approval of the Notification of Intent to Use Schedule 
III, IV, or V Opioid Drugs for the Maintenance and Detoxification 
Treatment of Opiate Addiction by a ``Qualifying Other Practitioner. The 
Notification of Intent would allow SAMHSA to determine whether other 
practitioners are eligible to prescribe certain approved narcotic 
treatment medications for the maintenance or detoxification treatment 
of opioid addiction.
    This Notification of Intent is a result of the Comprehensive 
Addiction and Recovery Act (Pub. L. 114-198), which was signed into law 
on July 22, 2016. The law establishes criteria for nurse practitioners 
(NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) to qualify for a waiver to 
prescribe covered medications. To be eligible for a waiver, the NP or 
PA must: Be licensed under State law to prescribe schedule III, IV, or 
V medications for the treatment of pain; fulfill qualification 
requirements in the law for training and experience; and fulfill 
qualification requirements in the law for appropriate supervision by a 
qualifying physician. SAMHSA has the responsibility to receive, review, 
approve, or deny waiver requests.
    Practitioners who meet the statutory requirements will be eligible 
to prescribe only those opioid treatment medications that are 
controlled in Schedules III, IV, or V, under the

[[Page 14373]]

Controlled Substance Act (CSA), that are specifically approved by the 
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of opioid 
addiction, and are not the subject of an ``adverse determination.'' The 
only medications that currently fulfill these requirements are ones 
that contain the active ingredient buprenorphine.
    Below are the following changes:

Use of Term of ``Qualifying Practitioners'' (NOI Sections 1, 2, 6, and 
11)

    The Statute Section 823(g)(2)(B)(i) refers to both physicians and 
mid-level providers as ``qualifying practitioners.'' Therefore in order 
to avoid confusion and redundancy, the revised NOI refers to ``other 
qualifying practitioners,'' simply as ``practitioners''.

Patient Limits (See NOI Section 6: Purpose of Notification)

    Language was added allowing practitioners who have treated 30 
patients for at least one year to increase their patient limit to 100. 
This second notification to treat 100 patients was omitted in the 
original NOI form.

Identification of Training Providers

    The previous NOI required that the practitioner to write in the 
name of training provider(s)' name(s). The revised NOI allows 
practitioners to select training providers from a list.
    The following table is the estimated hour burden:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Number of      Responses/                     Total burden
              Purpose of submission                 respondents     respondent     Burden hours        hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notification of Intent for Qualifying Other                  816               1            .066              54
 Practitioner to Use Schedule III, IV, or V
 Opioid Drugs for the Maintenance and
 Detoxification Treatment of Opiate Addiction by
 a ``Qualifying Other Practitioner'' under 21
 USC Sec.   823(g)(2)--Nurse Practitioners......
Notification of Intent for Qualifying Other                  590               1            .066              39
 Practitioner to Use Schedule III, IV, or V
 Opioid Drugs for the Maintenance and
 Detoxification Treatment of Opiate Addiction by
 a ``Qualifying Other Practitioner'' under 21
 USC Sec.   823(g)(2)--Physician Assistants.....
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................           1,406  ..............  ..............              93
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    Send comments to Summer King, SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer, 
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 15E57-B, Rockville, Maryland 20857, OR email a 
copy to [email protected]. Written comments should be received 
by May 19, 2017.

Summer King,
Statistician.
[FR Doc. 2017-05419 Filed 3-17-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4162-20-P