
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 79 (Monday, April 25, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 24041-24042]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09443]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 79 / Monday, April 25, 2016 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 24041]]



DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

21 CFR Part 820

[Docket No. FDA-2016-N-0436]


Refurbishing, Reconditioning, Rebuilding, Remarketing, 
Remanufacturing, and Servicing of Medical Devices Performed by Third-
Party Entities and Original Equipment Manufacturers; Extension of 
Comment Period

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notification; extension of comment period.

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

SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is extending the 
comment period for the document entitled ``Refurbishing, 
Reconditioning, Rebuilding, Remarketing, Remanufacturing, and Servicing 
of Medical Devices Performed by Third-Party Entities and Original 
Equipment Manufacturers'' that appeared in the Federal Register of 
March 4, 2016. In the document, FDA requested comments about the 
quality, safety, and continued effectiveness of medical devices that 
have been subject to one or more of these activities that are performed 
by both original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and third parties, 
including health care establishments. The Agency is taking this action 
due to the unanticipated high-level of interest from interested 
persons.

DATES: FDA is extending the comment period on the document published 
March 4, 2016 (81 FR 11477). Submit either electronic or written 
comments by June 3, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments as follows:

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted 
electronically, including attachments, to http://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 http://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): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
     For written/paper comments submitted to the Division of 
Dockets Management, 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-N-0436 for ``Refurbishing, Reconditioning, Rebuilding, 
Remarketing, Remanufacturing, and Servicing of Medical Devices 
Performed by Third-Party Entities and Original Equipment Manufacturers; 
Request for Comments.'' Received comments will be placed in the docket 
and, except for those submitted as ``Confidential Submissions,'' 
publicly viewable at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Division of 
Dockets Management 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 http://www.regulations.gov. 
Submit both copies to the Division of Dockets Management. 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: http://www.fda.gov/regulatoryinformation/dockets/default.htm.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to http://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 Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers 
Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Flournoy, Center for Devices 
and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-796-5495.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    In the Federal Register of March 4, 2016, FDA published a document 
with a 60-day comment period to request comments on the medical device 
industry and healthcare community that refurbish, recondition, rebuild, 
remarket, remanufacture, service, and

[[Page 24042]]

repair medical devices (hereafter termed ``third-party entity or 
entities''), including radiation-emitting devices subject to the 
electronic product radiation control (EPRC) provisions of the Federal 
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act). Comments on the service, 
maintenance, refurbishment, and alteration of medical devices, by 
third-party entities as well as challenges third-party entities face in 
maintaining or restoring devices to their original or current 
specifications will inform FDA when we hold a public meeting later in 
2016 to further engage this segment of the device industry and 
healthcare community.
    The Agency has received requests for a 30-day extension of the 
comment period for the document. Each request conveyed concern that the 
current 60-day comment period does not allow sufficient time to develop 
meaningful or thoughtful response to the document on ``Refurbishing, 
Reconditioning, Rebuilding, Remarketing, Remanufacturing, and Servicing 
of Medical Devices Performed by Third-Party Entities and Original 
Equipment Manufacturers.''
    FDA has considered the requests and is extending the comment period 
for the document on ``Refurbishing, Reconditioning, Rebuilding, 
Remarketing, Remanufacturing, and Servicing of Medical Devices 
Performed by Third-Party Entities and Original Equipment 
Manufacturers'' for 30 days, until June 3, 2016. The Agency believes 
that a 30-day extension allows adequate time for interested persons to 
submit comments without significantly delaying future workshop on these 
important issues.

    Dated: April 19, 2016.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2016-09443 Filed 4-22-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P


