
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 175 (Tuesday, September 12, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42818-42819]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19261]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2017-N-4515]


International Drug Scheduling; Convention on Psychotropic 
Substances; Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs; Ocfentanil, 
Carfentanil, Pregabalin, Tramadol, Cannabidiol, Ketamine, and Eleven 
Other Substances; Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) is 
extending the comment period for the notice that appeared in the 
Federal Register of August 14, 2017. In the notice, FDA requested 
comments concerning abuse potential, actual abuse, medical usefulness, 
trafficking, and impact of scheduling changes on availability for 
medical use of 17 drug substances. The Agency is taking this action in 
response to requests for an extension to allow interested persons 
additional time to submit comments.

DATES: FDA is extending the comment period on the notice published 
August 14, 2017 (82 FR 37866). Submit either electronic or written 
comments by September 20, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments as follows. Please note that late, 
untimely filed comments will not be considered. Electronic comments 
must be submitted on or before September 20, 2017. The https://www.regulations.gov electronic filing system will accept comments until 
midnight Eastern Time at the end of September 20, 2017. Comments 
received by mail/hand delivery/courier (for written/paper submissions) 
will be considered timely if they are postmarked or the delivery 
service acceptance receipt is on or before that date.

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

[[Page 42819]]

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-2017-N-4515 for ``International Drug Scheduling; Convention on 
Psychotropic Substances; Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs; 
Ocfentanil, Carfentanil, Pregabalin, Tramadol, Cannabidiol, Ketamine, 
and Eleven Other Substances; Extension of Comment Period.'' Received 
comments, those filed in a timely manner (see ADDRESSES), 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 Office 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James R. Hunter, Center for Drug 
Evaluation and Research, Controlled Substance Staff, Food and Drug 
Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 51, Rm. 5150, Silver 
Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-796-3156, email: james.hunter@fda.hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Federal Register of August 14, 2017, 
FDA published a notice with a 30-day comment period to request comments 
on abuse potential, actual abuse, medical usefulness, trafficking, and 
impact of scheduling changes on availability for medical use of 17 drug 
substances.
    The Agency has received requests for an extension of the comment 
period for the notice. Each request conveyed concern that the current 
30-day comment period does not allow sufficient time to develop a 
meaningful or thoughtful response to the notice.
    FDA has considered the requests and is extending the comment period 
for the notice until September 20, 2017. The Agency believes this 
extension allows adequate time for interested persons to submit 
comments.

    Dated: September 7, 2017.
Anna K. Abram,
Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Planning, Legislation, and Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2017-19261 Filed 9-11-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4164-01-P


