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The syringe shield rule: model for practitioner-initiated regulatory reform
1University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242-1077, USA. james-ponto@uiowa.edu
Objective:
To implement a performance-based method for maintaining radiation exposures to extremities as low as reasonably achievable while handling syringes containing radioactive materials.
Setting:
University hospital nuclear medicine clinic.
Practice Description:
Nuclear pharmacy and nuclear medicine.
Practice Innovation:
The author petitioned the Iowa Department of Public Health to revise its prescriptive syringe shield rule to allow for the development of a performance-based method while handling syringes containing radioactive material.
Main Outcome Measures:
Following enactment of the revised rule, a new performance-based policy and guidelines for the use of syringe shields were developed and implemented. Extremity exposures for nuclear medicine personnel were monitored in the nuclear medicine clinic and evaluated for 6-month periods immediately before and after implementation of the new policy and guidelines.
Results:
The Iowa Department of Public Health responded favorably to the author's petition and revised its rule to allow performance-based methods. Implementation of the performance-based method did not significantly affect extremity exposures.
Conclusion:
Practitioner-initiated regulatory reform for revision of a prescriptive rule to a performance-based rule can be feasible and practicable.