Advisory Committees; Notice of Meetings

AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing a tentative schedule of forthcoming meetings of its public advisory committees for the remainder of 2000. At the request of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs (the Commissioner), the Institute of Medicine (the IOM) conducted a study of the use of FDA's advisory committees. The IOM recommended that the agency publish an annual tentative schedule of its meetings in the Federal Register. In response to that recommendation, FDA is publishing its annual tentative scheduled meetings for the remainder of 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Donna M. Combs, Committee Management Office (HFA-306), Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-827-4820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The IOM, at the request of the Commissioner, undertook a study of the use of FDA's advisory committees. In its final report, the IOM recommended that FDA adopt a policy of publishing an advance yearly schedule of its upcoming public advisory committee meetings in the Federal Register. FDA has implemented this recommendation. A tentative schedule of forthcoming meetings will be published annually in the Federal Register. The annual publication of tentatively scheduled advisory committee meetings will provide both advisory committee members and the public with the opportunity, in advance, to schedule attendance at FDA's upcoming advisory committee meetings. The schedule is tentative and amendments to this notice will not be published in the Federal Register. FDA will, however, publish a Federal Register notice 15 days in advance of each upcoming advisory committee meeting, announcing the meeting (21 CFR 14.20).

The following list announces FDA's tentatively scheduled advisory committee meetings for the remainder of 2000: