Nuclear medicine technologists and unauthorized self-injections.

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiopharmaceutical Safety
• Regulatory Compliance

Background:

• An Office of Investigation (OI) investigation was initiated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
• Three instances of unauthorized radiopharmaceutical administration to technologists occurred over 10 years in one licensed program.
• The most recent event was self-reported by the licensee, while two others were discovered during the investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate unauthorized radiopharmaceutical administrations in a nuclear medicine program.
• To determine the extent and circumstances of these safety violations.
• To establish corrective actions and disseminate lessons learned to other licensees.

Main Methods:

• An Office of Investigation (OI) was conducted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) was mediated involving the licensee and the NRC.
• Review of incident reports and investigation findings.

Main Results:

• Three separate incidents of technologists being injected with radiopharmaceuticals without Authorized User approval were confirmed.
• The licensee was unaware of two of the three incidents prior to the NRC investigation.
• An agreement was reached for the licensee to acknowledge violations and collaborate on improving safety practices.

Conclusions:

• Unauthorized radiopharmaceutical administration is an unacceptable practice in licensed nuclear medicine programs.
• Licensees must implement additional precautions to prevent such violations.
• Collaboration between licensees and the NRC is crucial for enhancing safety and regulatory compliance.