Department of Health and Human Services June 1, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requests stakeholder input on the progress and future directions of the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP). NIOSH is seeking stakeholder input on the FFFIPP to ensure that the program is meeting the needs and expectations of the U.S. fire service, and to identify ways in which the program can be improved to increase its impact on the safety and health of fire fighters across the United States. NIOSH will compile and consider all comments received through the NIOSH docket and use them in making decisions on how to proceed with the FFFIPP.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the Agency's regulations to reflect changes to the Division of Freedom of Information's office name, address, telephone number, and fax number and the Division of Freedom of Information Public Reading room's fax and room number. This action is editorial in nature and is intended to improve the accuracy of the Agency's regulations.

This proposed rule would modify the 2011 electronic prescribing (eRx) quality measure (that is, the eRx quality measure used for certain reporting periods in calendar year (CY) 2011), provide additional significant hardship exemption categories for eligible professionals and group practices to request an exemption during 2011 for the 2012 eRx payment adjustment due to a significant hardship, and extend the deadline for submitting requests for consideration for the two significant hardship exemption categories for the 2012 eRx payment adjustment that were finalized in the CY 2011 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule with comment period.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of the draft guidance entitled ``Commercially Distributed In Vitro Diagnostic Products Labeled for Research Use Only or Investigational Use Only: Frequently Asked Questions.'' This draft guidance document is intended for manufacturers and distributors of research use only (RUO) and investigational use only (IUO) in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products and any other entities who label IVD products.