Department of Health and Human Services March 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Under the authority granted to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (the National Coordinator) by section 3001(c)(5) of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) as added by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, this rule proposes the establishment of two certification programs for purposes of testing and certifying health information technology. While two certification programs are described in this proposed rule, we anticipate issuing separate final rules for each of the programs. The first proposal would establish a temporary certification program whereby the National Coordinator would authorize organizations to test and certify Complete EHRs and/or EHR Modules, thereby assuring the availability of Certified EHR Technology prior to the date on which health care providers seeking the incentive payments available under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentives Program may begin demonstrating meaningful use of Certified EHR Technology. The second proposal would establish a permanent certification program to replace the temporary certification program. The permanent certification program would separate the responsibilities for performing testing and certification, introduce accreditation requirements, establish requirements for certification bodies authorized by the National Coordinator related to the surveillance of Certified EHR Technology, and would include the potential for certification bodies authorized by the National Coordinator to certify other types of health information technology besides Complete EHRs and EHR Modules.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the withdrawal, without prejudice to a future filing, of three color additive petitions (CAP 5C0278, CAP 5C0279, and CAP 5C0280) proposing that the color additive regulations be amended to provide for the safe use of Color Index (C.I.) Pigment Violet 19, C.I. Pigment Yellow 154, and C.I. Pigment Red 122 as color additives in contact lenses.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is announcing the continuation of the Regulatory Project Management Site Tours and Regulatory Interaction Program (the Site Tours Program). The purpose of this document is to invite pharmaceutical companies interested in participating in this program to contact CDER.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a guidance entitled ``S9 Nonclinical Evaluation for Anticancer Pharmaceuticals.'' The guidance was prepared under the auspices of the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). The guidance provides recommendations for nonclinical studies for the development of pharmaceuticals, including both drugs and biotechnology derived products, intended to treat patients with advanced cancer. The recommendations describe the type and timing of nonclinical studies to support an investigational new drug application (IND) and the submission of a new drug application (NDA) or biologics license application (BLA). The guidance is intended to provide information on internationally accepted recommendations for nonclinical studies to facilitate the development of anticancer pharmaceuticals.

The inventions listed below are owned by an agency of the U.S. Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results of federally-funded research and development. Foreign patent applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage for companies and may also be available for licensing.

The inventions listed below are owned by an agency of the U.S. Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results of federally-funded research and development. Foreign patent applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage for companies and may also be available for licensing.

The inventions listed below are owned by an agency of the U.S. Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results of federally-funded research and development. Foreign patent applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage for companies and may also be available for licensing.

This notice announces the opportunity for an administrative hearing to be held no later than 60 days following publication in the Federal Register at the CMS Kansas City Regional Office, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106, to consider whether Missouri State plan provisions concerning payments for home health services comply with the requirements of the Social Security Act as discussed in the February 26, 2010 letter sent to the State and published herein.

Amendment to declaration issued on September 28, 2009 (74 FR 51153) pursuant to section 319F-3 of the Public Health Service Act (``the Act'') (42 U.S.C. 247d-6d) to revise covered countermeasures and extend effective date and republication of the declaration to reflect the declaration in its entirety, as amended.