FMCSA to publish information requests on medication forms, certification

July 2, 2019

Land Line Staff

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A pair of information requests from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration – one involving driver medication forms and another about training certification – are set to publish in the Federal Register on July 3.

FMCSA seeks comments regarding voluntary medication forms used by certified medical examiners to learn what prescription drugs a driver is taking and why the medication is needed. The form is already in use, and the agency is asking for comments on whether or not it should be renewed.

According to the notice, the form is intended to help the certified medical examiner “determine if a driver is medically qualified” and to “ensure that there are no disqualifying medical conditions or underlying medical conditions and prescribed medications that could adversely affect their safe driving ability or cause incapacitation constituting a risk to the public.”

The use of the information collection is at the discretion of the certified medical examiner and allows communication with a commercial motor vehicle driver’s prescribing doctor so that the certified medical examiner “fully understands the reasons the medications have been prescribed.”

“This information assists the medical examiner in determining whether the underlying medical condition and the prescribed medication will impact the driver’s safe operation of a commercial motor vehicle,” according to the FMCSA notice.

The agency will take comments for 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register. Once the notice is published, comments can be made at Regulations.gov by using docket number FMCSA-2019-0101.

FMCSA is also seeking comments regarding training certification for entry-level drivers and two information collection forms.

One form is to register the training provider, and the other form asks for the trainer to provide certification information for entry-level drivers.

The new entry-level driver training rule takes effect Feb. 7, 2020.

Comments on the information collection requests will be accepted for 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register. Comments can be made at regulations.gov by using docket number FMCSA-2019-0157.