Legal and professional issues of radiopharmaceuticals

Radiopharmaceuticals are legally categorized as prescription‐only medicines (POMs), and, in addition to the standard legislation surrounding the administration of such drugs, are subject to regulations related to their radioactive content. In the UK, a statutory committee called the Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee (ARSAC) was established to give ionizing radiation advice to health ministers and to manage the certification process for administration of radiopharmaceuticals. This committee issues certificates that authorize individuals to administer radiopharmaceuticals to patients. It also lists the maximum permissible doses of radioactivity that may be administered to adult patients, and appropriately reduced adult doses for children, according to a child's bodyweight or body surface area (HPA [26]).