[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 2758-2759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00918]



[[Page 2758]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

21 CFR Part 7

[Docket No. FDA-2016-D-3548]


Public Warning and Notification of Recalls Under 21 CFR Part 7, 
Subpart C; Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration 
Staff; Availability

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notification of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing 
the availability of a draft guidance entitled ``Public Warning and 
Notification of Recalls Under 21 CFR Part 7, Subpart C; Draft Guidance 
for Industry and FDA Staff.'' The draft guidance, when finalized, 
establishes official guidance for industry and FDA staff regarding the 
use, content, and circumstances for issuance of public warnings and 
public notification of voluntary recalls under Federal regulations. The 
intent of the draft guidance is to increase and expedite the 
appropriate and accurate use of public warnings and public 
notification, to increase public health protection by better informing 
the public about violative products being recalled. The draft guidance 
clarifies and supplements existing policy for industry and FDA staff 
regarding the use of public warnings and public notification.

DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments on the draft 
guidance by March 20, 2018 to ensure that the Agency considers your 
comment on this draft guidance before it begins work on the final 
version of the guidance.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on any guidance at any time as 
follows:

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted 
electronically, including attachments, to https://www.regulations.gov 
will be posted to the docket unchanged. Because your comment will be 
made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your comment 
does not include any confidential information that you or a third party 
may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone 
else's Social Security number, or confidential business information, 
such as a manufacturing process. Please note that if you include your 
name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in 
the body of your comments, that information will be posted on https://www.regulations.gov.
     If you want to submit a comment with confidential 
information that you do not wish to be made available to the public, 
submit the comment as a written/paper submission and in the manner 
detailed (see ``Written/Paper Submissions'' and ``Instructions'').

Written/Paper Submissions

    Submit written/paper submissions as follows:
     Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for written/paper 
submissions): Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
     For written/paper comments submitted to the Dockets 
Management Staff, FDA will post your comment, as well as any 
attachments, except for information submitted, marked and identified, 
as confidential, if submitted as detailed in ``Instructions.''
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket No. 
FDA-2016-D-3548 for ``Public Warning and Notification of Recalls Under 
21 CFR Part 7, Subpart C; Draft Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff.'' 
Received comments will be placed in the docket and, except for those 
submitted as ``Confidential Submissions,'' publicly viewable at https://www.regulations.gov or at the Dockets Management Staff between 9 a.m. 
and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
     Confidential Submissions--To submit a comment with 
confidential information that you do not wish to be made publicly 
available, submit your comments only as a written/paper submission. You 
should submit two copies total. One copy will include the information 
you claim to be confidential with a heading or cover note that states 
``THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.'' The Agency will 
review this copy, including the claimed confidential information, in 
its consideration of comments. The second copy, which will have the 
claimed confidential information redacted/blacked out, will be 
available for public viewing and posted on https://www.regulations.gov. 
Submit both copies to the Dockets Management Staff. If you do not wish 
your name and contact information to be made publicly available, you 
can provide this information on the cover sheet and not in the body of 
your comments and you must identify this information as 
``confidential.'' Any information marked as ``confidential'' will not 
be disclosed except in accordance with 21 CFR 10.20 and other 
applicable disclosure law. For more information about FDA's posting of 
comments to public dockets, see 80 FR 56469, September 18, 2015, or 
access the information at: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-09-18/pdf/2015-23389.pdf.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number, found in brackets in 
the heading of this document, into the ``Search'' box and follow the 
prompts and/or go to the Dockets Management Staff, 5630 Fishers Lane, 
Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
    You may submit comments on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 
10.115(g)(5)).
    Submit written requests for single copies of the draft guidance to 
the Office of Strategic Planning and Operational Policy, Office of 
Regulatory Affairs, Food and Drug Administration, 12420 Parklawn Dr., 
Element Building, Rockville, MD 20857. Send one self-addressed adhesive 
label to assist that office in processing your requests. See the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for electronic access to the draft 
guidance document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Henderson, Office of Regulatory 
Affairs, Food and Drug Administration, 12420 Parklawn Dr., Rockville, 
MD 20857, 240-402-8186, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    FDA is announcing the availability of a draft guidance for industry 
and FDA staff entitled ``Public Warning and Notification of Recalls 
Under 21 CFR Part 7, Subpart C.'' The draft guidance, when finalized, 
will establish official guidance for industry and FDA staff regarding 
the use, content, and timing of public warnings and public notification 
of recalls under part 7 (21 CFR part 7). The draft guidance is part of 
a larger effort FDA is undertaking to give additional guidance to 
industry and FDA staff regarding the execution and oversight of 
voluntary recalls under part 7.
    This draft guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good 
guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The draft guidance, when 
finalized, will represent the current thinking of FDA on public 
warnings and notification of recalls. It does not establish any rights 
for any person and is not binding on

[[Page 2759]]

FDA or the public. You can use an alternative approach if it satisfies 
the requirements of the applicable statutes and regulations. This draft 
guidance is not subject to Executive Order 12866.

II. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    This draft guidance refers to previously approved collections of 
information that are subject to review by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520). Any collection of information, including a firm's public warning 
(Sec.  7.42(b)(2)), has been approved under OMB control number 0910-
0249.

III. Electronic Access

    Persons with access to the internet may obtain the draft guidance 
at either https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm or https://www.regulations.gov.

    Dated: January 16, 2018.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-00918 Filed 1-18-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4164-01-P


