The AAFP told a federal agency recently to be careful of moving too far in its proposal to expand the number of clinicians who can assess whether commercial vehicle operators who have diabetes are fit to drive. Interstate commercial drivers who have diabetes currently must be examined by a board-certified or board-eligible endocrinologist to apply to drive through the Federal Diabetes Exemption Program.
A proposed rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) — an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) — that was published in the Sept. 9 Federal Register would allow the examination to be conducted by a doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant who prescribed insulin to the driver and is knowledgeable regarding the treatment of diabetes.
Source: Only Physicians Should Participate in Federal Diabetes Program, Says AAFP
