[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 249 (Monday, December 31, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67729-67730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-28403]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Request for Public Comments on the Pain Management Best Practices 
Inter-Agency Task Force Draft Report on Pain Management Best Practices: 
Updates, Gaps, Inconsistencies, and Recommendations

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the 
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of request for public comments on the Draft Report on 
Pain Management Best Practices: Updates, Gaps, Inconsistencies, and 
Recommendations, which proposes updates to best practices and 
recommendations for pain management, including chronic and acute pain.

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SUMMARY: The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA), 
requires that the public be given at least ninety (90) days to submit 
comments on any proposed updates and recommendations developed by the 
Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force (Task Force). 
The Task Force is requesting comments on the Draft Report on Pain 
Management Best Practices: Updates, Gaps, Inconsistencies, and 
Recommendations (hereinafter referred to as Draft Report). Section 101 
of the CARA authorized the creation of the Task Force to identify gaps 
or inconsistencies, and propose updates to best practices and 
recommendations for pain management, including chronic and acute pain. 
The Secretary of HHS convened the Task Force in cooperation with the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of Defense. On September 
26, 2018, the Task Force voted on the proposed updates and 
recommendations that would be provided to the public for comment, which 
are included in the Draft Report. Once the ninety (90) day comment 
period concludes, the Task Force will consider comments received and 
compile a Final Report with its proposed updates and recommendations.

DATES: Comments for consideration by the Task Force should be received 
no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on April 1, 2019.

ADDRESSES: The Draft Report is available at https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/pain/index.html. Written comments may be submitted 
by any of the following three methods: (1) Submit through the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket Number: HHS-
OS-2018-0027, (2) Email to: [email protected], or (3) Mail written 
comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of 
the Assistant Secretary for Health, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Room 
736E, Attn: Alicia Richmond Scott, Pain Management Best Practices 
Inter-Agency Task Force Designated Federal Officer, Washington, DC 
20201. For more detailed instructions on submitting comments, see the 
``Instructions for Commenters'' section of REQUEST FOR COMMENTS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alicia Richmond Scott, Designated 
Federal Officer, Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task 
Force, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Health, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Room 736E, 
Washington, DC 20201. Phone: 240-453-2816. Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act 
of 2016 (CARA), Public Law 114-198, required the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, in cooperation with the Secretaries of Defense and 
Veterans Affairs, to convene the Task Force no later than two years 
after the CARA enactment. The Task Force is required to propose updates 
on best practices and recommendations to address gaps or 
inconsistencies for pain management, including chronic and acute pain, 
and submit such updates and recommendations to relevant Federal 
agencies and the general public. The duties of the Task Force are to:
     Identify, review, determine, and propose updates to gaps 
or inconsistencies between best practices

[[Page 67730]]

for pain management, taking into consideration:

--Existing pain management research and other relevant research;
--Recommendations from relevant conferences and existing evidence-based 
guidelines;
--Ongoing efforts at the state and local level and by medical 
professional organizations to develop improved pain management 
strategies;
--The management of high-risk populations who receive opioids in the 
course of medical care, other than for pain management;
--The 2016 Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain issued by 
the CDC; and
--Private sector, State, and local government efforts related to pain 
management and prescribing pain medication.

     Provide the public with at least ninety (90) days to 
submit comments on any proposed updates and recommendations.
     Develop a strategy for dissemination of information on 
best practices for pain management to stakeholders, if appropriate.
    The Draft Report highlights the progress made towards identifying, 
reviewing, and determining whether there are gaps in or inconsistencies 
between best practices for pain management (including chronic and acute 
pain) developed or adopted by Federal agencies. It includes the Task 
Force's proposed updates to best practices and recommendations on 
addressing gaps or inconsistencies. On September 26, 2018, the Task 
Force voted on the proposed updates and recommendations that would be 
provided to the public for comment. The proposed updates and 
recommendations are included in the Draft Report. Once the ninety (90) 
day comment period concludes, the Task Force will consider comments 
received and compile a Final Recommendations Report with its proposed 
updates and recommendations.
    Request for Comment: The goal of this Request for Comment is to 
solicit feedback on the Draft Report, which includes the Task Force's 
proposed updates and recommendations. The Task Force invites comment on 
the full range of issues that may be relevant to the proposed updates 
and recommendations.
    Instructions for Commenters: Written comments should not exceed 
three pages in length. To assist with the review of public comments, 
the public should cite a specific section, gap and/or recommendation of 
the report (e.g., acute pain, gap 2 or recommendation 2b) for which the 
comments are related. Comments that contain references to studies, 
research, and other empirical data that are not widely available should 
include copies of the referenced materials with the submitted comments. 
Comments submitted by email should be machine-readable and should not 
be copy-protected. Responders are encouraged to include the name of the 
person or organization filing the comment, in case follow-up is needed, 
as well as a page number on each page of their submission(s).
    Written comments may be submitted by any of the following three 
methods: (1) Submit through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket Number: HHS-OS-2018-0027, (2) Email to: 
[email protected], or (3) Mail written comments to the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Health, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Room 736E, Attn: 
Alicia Richmond Scott, Pain Management Task Force Designated Federal 
Officer, Washington, DC 20201.

    Dated: December 11, 2018.
Vanila M. Singh,
Chief Medical Officer, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.
[FR Doc. 2018-28403 Filed 12-28-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4150-28-P