The Group held its most recent meeting at the Beeches Management Centre, Bournville, Birmingham, in conjunction with the annual radiopharmacy workshop. Items of general interest are summarised below
Education and Certification of Radiopharmaceutical Scientists The UKRG has prepared a document entitled "Guidelines for the provision of radiopharmacy support to nuclear medicine". This document, which attempts to define the professional as distinct from technical role of the radiopharmaceutical scientist, has been endorsed by the British Nuclear Medicine Society and the British Institute of Radiology, and will appear in Nuclear Medicine Communications in the near future.
Attempts to have radiopharmaceutical science recognised are continuing. A set of National Occupational Standards for Health Care Scientists are being prepared and the UKRG has requested that radiopharmaceutical science be included in this framework.
It is proposed that there be a national training scheme, akin to that for Grade A medical physicists. There are already didactic programmes presented on an annual basis by King's College London and the University of Leeds, but a practical training component has been lacking.
Annual Radiopharmacy Workshop - Bournville January 2002 The workshop was held on 18 January with approximately 40 in attendance. The focus of the scientific sessions was on research and development in radiopharmacy, while the training sessions concentrated on the roles and functions of professional and technical staff in radiopharmacy as well as issues of training and continuing education. The presentations were excellent and the organisers are to be congratulated.
Improving Communication In the last Newsletter we announced the introduction of RADPHARMUK as a web-based forum for the discussion of issues of relevance mainly to those in the UK. This network has been chugging along with close to 100 members and has provided a useful exchange of ideas. Anyone else who would like to join should contact: http://www.egroups.com/group/radpharmuk
At this meeting, Professor Mather announced the formation of VIRAD (Virtual Radiopharmacy), a learning community funded by the European Commission for a three-year period. VIRAD will use the internet to support distance learning and provide material for courses. More details will be available shortly.
Adverse Reactions / Defective Products The latest report should be included with this Newsletter. The previous report mentioned Mo/Tc generator elution problems which do not fit the pattern of the wet column phenomenon, in that the yield did not recover on subsequent days. It appears that some may be related to excessive use of alcohol-based disinfectants. The current batch of reports include apparent labelling problems with MAG3 (also mentioned on the news group) which may be QC artefacts. In a bizarre incident on 17 December, a batch of pertechnetate seems to have become contaminated and would not label either tetrofosmin or sestamibi.
Manufactured "Specials" for Radiopharmacy Mr Maltby received 14 replies to the questionnaire circulated with the last Newsletter. There is a move toward rationalisation of "specials" manufacturing within the NHS and there will be centralised funding for revamping of manufacturing units. The UKRG wants to ensure that specials for radiopharmacy are not lost in the shuffle and has identified Hespan as the most important item.
Radiopharmacy Handbook The 2002 edition of the Handbook is now available on the UKRG web site (www.ukrg.org.uk). It will be updated on an ongoing basis. Please make use of it and give us feedback. In particular, please report any errors or omissions and links which don't work. The group would like to thank Dr Bev Ellis for her hard work in transforming the Handbook into electronic form and performing a major revision. She is also our web-mistress!
Intrinsic Factor It has been reported that some departments are having difficulty obtaining porcine intrinsic factor capsules. The capsules are available as a "special" from BCM (Boots Contract Manufacturing) but MUST be ordered through your hospital pharmacy.
Those interested in becoming involved in a clinical trial of recombinant human intrinsic factor are invited to contact Professor Ebba Nexo, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aarhus University Hospital, Norrebrogade 44, DK 8000 Aarhus C; e.nexo@dadlnet.dk
Furthermore, it has been pointed out that the validity of the Schilling test requires injection of cold cyanocobalamin, and that hydroxycobalamin may not be a suitable substitute. Though cyanocobalamin is no longer used for treatment of pernicious anaemia, it is indicated for use in the Schilling test and can be prescribed by the ARSAC holder.
Note from the Editor The editor, Jim Ballinger, Nuclear Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, phone 01223 217351, fax 01223 274596, e-mail jim.ballinger@addenbrookes.nhs.uk, welcomes comments, constructive criticism, and lukewarm praise. I hope you found it both interesting and entertaining.
CELEBRATIONS! Dr Malcolm Frier, chair of the UKRG, is to be congratulated on receiving another chair: Professorship at the University of Nottingham.
During the radiopharmacy workshop in Bournville, the group celebrated its 25th anniversary. The original six members of the Regional Radiopharmacists Subcommittee were Malcolm Frier (Nottingham), Stuart Hesslewood (Birmingham), Penny Hill (Bristol), Colin Lazarus (London), Bill Little (Liverpool), and Teresa McCarthy (Cambridge). The inaugural meeting was held at a now-forgotten pub in Cambridgeshire on 26 January 1977. Would that the pub could be identified and a suitable plaque erected! Three of the original members are still active in the group. Active? Just try holding a meeting (or knees-up) without them - impossible!