Re: KI pills & the NCRP

[gj_vargo@ccmail.pnl.gov]

          In response to my posting quantative information from NCRP 55 
          concerning the risk of KI usage, Muckerheide writes.
          
          "It's almost funny to quote NCRP, which has essentially zero 
          medicine or health knowledge or expertise, is not even qualified 
          as a public health function, in the face of an MD, and in the 
          face of the pharmacological data and medical package insert 
          documentation on SSKI."
          
          The working group for NCRP 55 was chaired by Eugene Saenger, MD, 
          an internationally recognized expert on the medical effects of 
          ionizing radiation.  The membership of the NCRP also includes 
          physicians, toxicologists, epidemiologists, and other public 
          health professionals.  It's also worth noting that the 
          consultants to the working group for NCRP 55 included Dr. Jerome 
          Halperin, President of the United States Pharmacopea.  The USP is 
          essentially the best source of drug formulation and interaction 
          information in the world.
          
          Further, Muckerheide writes:
          
          "Note also the irresponsibility of even considering the "idea" of 
          wholesale distribution of such a prescription medicine by 
          non-physicians with no medical traiining or supervision in the 
          face of a total inability to consider the medical conditions of 
          the individuals, and the inability to provide medical followup 
          for the individuals (especially in the face lawsuits when the 
          near certain cases of adverse effects would be filed on the 
          "prescribers"). Talk about "practicing medicine without a 
          license"!"
          
          Was there anything in my posting even remotely advocating this?  
          No.  My purpose was simply to offer something quantitative as a 
          supplement to the opinions expressed in an earlier posting.  I am 
          deeply troubled by both the content and tone of Muckerheide's 
          posting.  His comments lead me to question whether he has chosen 
          to extend the LNT debate to a wholesale assault on the NCRP 
          which, as noted by Slaback, has served the public and the 
          radiation protection community well for several decades.
          
          George J. Vargo
          Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
          
          These comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions of my 
          employer or the U.S. Department of Energy.