Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,

[Federal Register: January 26, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 16)]

[Notices]

[Page 3585-3586]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr26ja04-51]

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. 2003N-0404]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; Comment Request; Human Tissue Intended for Transplantation

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Fax written comments on the collection of information by February 25, 2004.

ADDRESSES: OMB is still experiencing significant delays in the regular mail, including first class and express mail, and messenger deliveries are not being accepted. To ensure that comments on the information collection are received, OMB recommends that written comments be faxed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attn: Fumie Yokota, Desk Officer for FDA, FAX: 202-395-6974.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: JonnaLynn P. Capezzuto, Office of Management Programs (HFA-250), Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-827-4659.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In compliance with 44 U.S.C. 3507, FDA has submitted the following proposed collection of information to OMB for review and clearance.

Human Tissue Intended for Transplantation--21 CFR Part 1270 (OMB Control Number 0910-0302)--Extension

Under section 361 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 264), FDA issued regulations to prevent the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, through the use of human tissue for transplantation. The regulations provide for inspection by FDA of persons and tissue establishments engaged in the recovery, screening, testing, processing, storage, or distribution of human tissue. These facilities are required to meet provisions intended to ensure appropriate screening and testing of human tissue donors and to ensure that records are kept documenting that the appropriate screening and testing have been completed.

Section 1270.31(a) through (d) (21 CFR 1270.31(a) through (d)) require written procedures to be prepared and followed for the following steps: (1) All significant steps in the infectious disease testing process, (2) all significant steps in reviewing the relevant medical record of the donor, (3) designating and identifying quarantined tissue, and (4) for prevention of infectious disease contamination or cross-contamination by tissue during processing. Section 1270.31(a) and (b) also require recording and justification of any deviation from the written procedures. Section 1270.33(a) (21 CFR 1270.33(a)) requires records to be maintained concurrently with the performance of each significant step in the procedures of infectious disease screening and testing of human tissue donors. Section 1270.33(f) requires records to be retained regarding the determination of the suitability of the donors and such records required under 21 CFR 1270.21. Section 1270.33(h) requires all records be retained at least 10 years beyond the date of transplantation, distribution, disposition, or expiration of the tissue, whichever is latest. Section 1270.35 (21 CFR 1270.35) requires specific records be maintained to document the following outcomes: (1) The results and interpretation of all required infectious disease tests and results, (2) the identity and relevant medical records of the donor, (3) the receipt and distribution of human tissue, and (4) the destruction or other disposition of human tissue.

Respondents to this collection of information are manufacturers of human tissue intended for transplantation. Based on information from FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) database system, the agency estimates that there are approximately 300 tissue establishments of which 166 are conventional tissue banks and 134 are eye tissue banks. Based on information provided by industry, there are an estimated total of 750,000 conventional tissue products and 94,186 eye tissue products recovered per year with an average of 25 percent of the tissue discarded due to

[[Page 3586]]

unsuitability for transplant. In addition, there are an estimated 20,000 donors of conventional tissue and 47,796 donors of eye tissue each year.

Accredited members of the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) and Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) adhere to standards of those organizations that are comparable to the recordkeeping requirement in part 1270 (21 CFR part 1270). Based on information provided by industry associations, 50 to 75 percent (average 63 percent) of the conventional tissue banks are members of AATB (166 x 63 percent = 105), and 99 percent of eye tissue banks are members of EBAA (134 x 99 percent = 133). Therefore, recordkeeping by these 238 establishments (105 + 133 = 238) is excluded from the burden estimates as usual and customary business activities (5 CFR 1320.3(b)(2)). The recordkeeping burden, thus, is estimated for the remaining 62 establishments, which is 21 percent of all establishments (300 - 238 = 62, or 62/300 = 21 percent).

Based on CBER's database system and information provided by industry, FDA estimates an average of two new tissue banks annually, which may be nonmembers of a trade association. Each new tissue bank requires an estimated 64 hours to prepare standard operating procedures (SOPs) under Sec. 1270.31(a) through (d). The requirement for the development of these written procedures is considered an initial one- time burden. FDA assumes that all current tissue establishments have developed written procedures in compliance with part 1270. Therefore, their information collection burden is for the general review and update of written procedures estimated to take an annual average of 24 hours, and for the recording and justifying of any deviations from the written procedures for Sec. 1270.31(a) and (b), estimated to take an annual average of 1 hour. The information collection burden for maintaining records concurrently with the performance of each significant screening and testing step and for retaining records for 10 years under Sec. 1270.33(a), (f), and (h), include documenting the results and interpretation of all required infectious disease tests and results and the identify and relevant medical records of the donor required under Sec. 1270.35(a) and (b). Therefore, the burden under these provisions is calculated together in table 1 of this document. The recordkeeping estimates for the number of total annual records and hours per record are based on information provided by industry and FDA experience.

In the Federal Register of October 1, 2003 (68 FR 56635), FDA published a 60-day notice requesting public comment on the information collection provisions. No comments were received.

Table 1.--Estimated Annual Recordkeeping Burden\1\

Annual Frequency Total Annual Hours per

21 CFR Section No. of Recordkeepers per Recordkeeping Records

Record Total Hours

1270.31(a) through (d)

2

1

2

64

128

1270.31(a) through

62

1

62

24

1,488 (d)\2\

1270.31(a) and (b)\3\

62

2

124

1

124

1270.33(a), (f), and

62

3,089

191,518

1

191,518 (h) and 1270.35(a) and (b)

1270.35(c)

62

5,719

354,578

1

354,578

1270.35(d)

62

715

44,330

1

44,330

Total

592,166

\1\ There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of information. \2\ Review and update of standard operating procedures (SOPs). \3\ Documentation of deviations from SOPs.

Dated: January 16, 2004. Jeffrey Shuren, Assistant Commissioner for Policy.

[FR Doc. 04-1493 Filed 1-23-04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160-01-S