E6-3818. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987

AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on the reporting and recordkeeping requirements contained in the regulations implementing the Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987 (PDMA).

DATES:

Submit written or electronic comments on the collection of information by May 15, 2006.

ADDRESSES:

Submit electronic comments on the collection of information to http://www.fda.gov/​dockets/​ecomments. Submit written comments on the collection of information to the Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. All comments should be identified with the docket number found in brackets in the heading of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen Nelson, Office of Management Programs (HFA-250), Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-827-1482.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. “Collection of information” is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, FDA is publishing notice of the proposed collection of information set forth in this document.

With respect to the following collection of information, FDA invites comments on these topics: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of FDA's functions, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FDA's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques, when appropriate, and other forms of information technology.

Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987; Administrative Procedures, Policies, and Requirements—21 CFR Part 203 (OMB Control Number 0910-0435)—Extension

FDA is requesting OMB approval under the PRA for the reporting and recordkeeping requirements contained in the regulations implementing the Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987 (PDMA) (Public Law 100-293). PDMA was intended to ensure that drug products purchased by consumers are safe and effective and to avoid an unacceptable risk that counterfeit, adulterated, misbranded, subpotent, or expired drugs are sold.

PDMA was enacted by Congress because there were insufficient safeguards in the drug distribution system to prevent the introduction and retail sale of substandard, ineffective, or counterfeit drugs, and that a wholesale drug diversion submarket had developed that prevented effective control over the true sources of drugs.

Congress found that large amounts of drugs had been reimported into the United States as U.S. goods returned causing a health and safety risk to U.S. consumers because the drugs may become subpotent or adulterated during foreign handling and shipping. Congress also found that a ready market for prescription drug reimports had been the catalyst for a continuing series of frauds against U.S. manufacturers and had provided the cover for the importation of foreign counterfeit drugs.

Congress also determined that the system of providing drug samples to physicians through manufacturers' representatives had resulted in the sale to consumers of misbranded, expired, and adulterated pharmaceuticals.

The bulk resale of below wholesale priced prescription drugs by health care entities for ultimate sale at retail also helped to fuel the diversion market and was an unfair form of competition to wholesalers and retailers who had to pay otherwise prevailing market prices.

FDA is requesting OMB approval for the following reporting and recordkeeping requirements:

Table 1.—Reporting Requirements

21 CFR Section	Reporting Requirements
203.11	Applications for reimportation to provide emergency medical care
203.30(a)(1) and (b)	Drug sample requests (drug samples distributed by mail or common carrier)
203.30(a)(3), (a)(4), and (c)	Drug sample receipts (receipts for drug samples distributed by mail or common carrier)
203.31(a)(1) and (b)	Drug sample requests (drug samples distributed by means other than the mail or a common carrier)
203.31(a)(3), (a)(4), and (c)	Drug sample receipts (drug samples distributed by means other than the mail or a common carrier)
203.37(a)	Investigation of falsification of drug sample records
203.37(b)	Investigation of a significant loss or known theft of drug samples
203.37(c)	Notification that a representative has been convicted of certain offenses involving drug samples
203.37(d)	Notification of the individual responsible for responding to a request for information about drug samples
203.39(g)	Preparation by a charitable institution of a reconciliation report for donated drug samples

Table 2.—Recordkeeping Requirements

21 CFR Section	Recordkeeping Requirements
203.23(a) and (b)	Credit memo for returned drugs
203.23(c)	Documentation of proper storage, handling, and shipping conditions for returned drugs
203.30(a)(2) and 203.31(a)(2)	Verification that a practitioner requesting a drug sample is licensed or authorized to prescribe the product
203.31(d)(1) and (d)(2)	Contents of the inventory record and reconciliation report required for drug samples distributed by representatives
203.31(d)(4)	Investigation of apparent discrepancies and significant losses revealed through the reconciliation report
203.31(e)	Lists of manufacturers' and distributors' representatives
203.34	Written policies and procedures describing administrative systems
203.37(a)	Report of investigation of falsification of drug sample records
203.37(b)	Report of investigation of significant loss or known theft of drug samples
203.38(b)	Records of drug sample distribution identifying lot or control numbers of samples distributed. (The information collection in 21 CFR 203.38(b) is already approved under OMB Control Number 0910-0139)
203.39(d)	Records of drug samples destroyed or returned by a charitable institution
203.39(e)	Record of drug samples donated to a charitable institution
203.39(f)	Records of donation and distribution or other disposition of donated drug samples
203.39(g)	Inventory and reconciliation of drug samples donated to charitable institutions
203.50(a)	Drug origin statement
203.50(b)	Retention of drug origin statement for 3 years
203.50(d)	List of authorized distributors of record

The reporting and recordkeeping requirements are intended to help achieve the following goals:

1. To ban the reimportation of prescription drugs produced in the United States, except when reimported by the manufacturer or under FDA authorization for emergency medical care;

2. To ban the sale, purchase, or trade, or the offer to sell, purchase, or trade, of any prescription drug sample;

3. To limit the distribution of drug samples to practitioners licensed or authorized to prescribe such drugs or to pharmacies of hospitals or other health care entities at the request of a licensed or authorized practitioner;

4 To require licensed or authorized practitioners to request prescription drug samples in writing;

5. To mandate storage, handling, and recordkeeping requirements for prescription drug samples;

6. To prohibit, with certain exceptions, the sale, purchase, or trade of, or the offer to sell, purchase, or trade, prescription drugs that were purchased by hospitals or other health care entities, or which were donated or supplied at a reduced price to a charitable organization;

7. To require unauthorized wholesale distributors to provide, prior to the wholesale distribution of a prescription drug to another wholesale distributor or retail pharmacy, a statement identifying each prior sale, purchase, or trade of the drug.

FDA estimates the burden of this collection of information as follows:

Table 3.—Estimated Annual Reporting Burden¹

21 CFR Section	No. of Respondents	No. of Responses per Respondent	Total Annual Responses	Hours per Response	Total Hours
203.11	12	1	12	.5	6
203.30(a)(1) and (b)	61,961	12	743,532	.06	44,612
203.30(a)(3), (a)(4), and (c)	61,961	12	743,532	.06	44,612
203.31(a)(1) and (b)	232,355	135	31,367,925	.04	1,254,717
203.31(a)(3), (a)(4), and (c)	232,355	135	31,367,925	.03	941,038
203.37(a)	25	1	25	6.00	150
203.37(b)	200	1	200	6.00	1,200
203.37(c)	50	1	50	1.00	50
203.37(d)	2,208	1	2,208	.08	177
203.39(g)	3,221	1	3,221	2.00	6,442
Total Reporting Burden Hours					2,293,004
1 There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of information.

Table 4.—Estimated Annual Recordkeeping Burden¹

21 CFR Section	No. of Recordkeepers	No. of Responses per Recordkeeper	Total Annual Records	Hours per Record	Total Hours
203.23(a) and (b)	31,676	5	158,380	.25	39,595
203.23(c)	31,676	5	158,380	.08	12,670
203.30(a)(2) and 203.31(a)(2)	2,208	100	220,800	.50	110,400
203.31(d)(1) and (d)(2)	2,208	1	2,208	40.00	88,320
203.31(d)(4)	442	1	442	24.00	10,608
203.31(e)	2,208	1	2,208	1.00	2,208
203.34	2,208	1	2,208	40.00	88,320
203.37(a)	25	1	25	18.00	450
203.37(b)	200	1	200	18.00	3,600
203.39(d)	65	1	65	1.00	65
203.39(e)	3,221	1	3,221	.50	1,610
203.39(f)	3,221	1	3,221	8.00	25,768
203.39(g)	3,221	1	3,221	8.00	25,768
203.50(a)	0	0	0	0	0
203.50(b)	0	0	0	0	0
203.50(d)	0	0	0	0	0
Total Recordkeeping Burden Hours					409,409
1 There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of information.

Dated: March 10, 2006.

Jeffrey Shuren,

Assistant Commissioner for Policy.