review and designation of official names

review and designation of official names Sec. 111. (a) The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 351 et seq.), as amended by this Act, is further amended by adding at the end of chapter V the following new section: “authority to designate official names “Sec. 508. (a) The Secretary may designate an official name for any drug if he determines that such action is necessary or desirable in the interest of usefulness and simplicity. Any official name designated under this section for any drug shall be the only official name of that drug used in any official compendium published after such name has been prescribed or for any other purpose of this Act. In no event, however, shall the Secretary establish an official name so as to infringe a valid trademark. “(b) Within a reasonable time after the effective date of this section, and at such other times as he may deem necessary, the Secretary shall cause a review to be made of the official names by which drug are identified in the official United States Pharmacopeia, the official Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, and the official National Formulary, and all supplements thereto, to determine whether revision of any of those names is necessary or desirable in the interest of usefulness and simplicity. “(c) Whenever he determines after any such review’ that (1) any such official name is unduly complex or is not useful for any other reason, (2) two or more official names have been applied to a single drug, or to two or more drugs which are identical in chemical structure and pharmacological action and which are substantially identical in strength, quality, and purity, or (3) no official name has been applied to a medically useful drug, he shall transmit in writing to the compiler of each official compendium in which that drug or drugs are identified and recognized his request for the recommendation of a single official name for such drug or drugs which will have usefulness and simplicity. Whenever such a single official name has not been recommended within one hundred and eighty days after such request, or the Secretary determines that any name so recommended is not useful for any reason, he shall designate a single official name for such drug or drugs. Whenever he determines that the name so recommended is useful, he shall designate that name as the official name of such drug or drugs. Such designation shall be made as a regulation upon public notice and in accordance with the procedure set forth in section 4 of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 1003). 76 Stat. 790 “(d) After each such review, and at such other times as the Secretary may determine to be necessary or desirable, the Secretary shall cause to be compiled, published, and publicly distributed a list which shall list all revised official names of drugs designated under this section and shall contain such descriptive and explanatory matter as the Secretary may determine to be required for the effective use of those names. “(e) Upon a request in writing by any compiler of an official compendium that the Secretary exercise the authority granted to him under section 508(a), he shall upon public notice and in accordance with the procedure set forth in section 4 of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 1003) designate the official name of the drug for which the request is made.” (b) This section shall take effect on the date of its enactment.