The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking public comment on a new, voluntary program that would allow participating certified medical examiners to communicate with primary healthcare professionals who prescribe medication to their commercial driver patients.
FMCSA said the Information Collection Request, or ICR, will assist medical examiners in determining if a driver is medically qualified under 49 CFR 391.41, and ensuring that the driver has no disqualifying medical conditions or underlying medical conditions and doesn’t take prescribed or non-prescribed medication that could adversely affect their ability to operate the vehicle.
Public comments can be submitted through Jan. 25, 2016.
Earlier this year, commercial drivers who submit to their state office a current medical examiner’s certificate proving that all physical qualifications have been meet no longer need to carry the certificate with them on the job for more than 15 days after it was issued as proof for authorities.
