Re: Re: Joint Commission Report - public health risks

["Rad. Health Unit"<raldrich@emi.com>]

This thread dates back to January 29 (RADSAFE digest 1248):

In regard to the regulated medical community's supposed lack of understanding of 
their regulatory environment, and the IOM report's "complaining and whining," 
readers might be interested in a November, 1996 discussion by NRC's Medical 
Advisory Committee (ACMUI) relating to this topic.  Serving as a member of this 
committee would seem to be one of the more "productive methods of fixing the 
regulatory environment" recommended by one commentor.

In the recently released minutes of the November meeting, the ACMUI members 
"indicated that they do not have confidence, and they do not believe the 
regulated community has the confidence, that the NRC....can make the necessary 
changes to effectively regulate the use of by-product material in medicine."  
The committee then voted unanimously that the recommendations made to NRC during 
their February, 1996 meeting (on the IOM report) were still their first choices 
for the direction in which NRC should proceed.  Their recommendations are:

	"The ACMUI reached a consensus as a result of committee deliberations 
concerning the following actions that should be part of regulatory reform:

		Rebuild the medical use regulatory program, without using the 
current regulatory program as a starting point.  The objectives of the 
regulations must be reassessed;

		Federally mandate that the states administer the medical 
regulatory use program, with appropriate incentives to encourage states to 
comply;

		State programs should be monitored by a Federal agency.  The 
Federal agency should be an agency with an overall medical use perspective.

		Encompass all uses of ionizing radiation in medicine, not just 
by-product material and not just radioactive material; and

		Conduct the medical use regulatory program in a uniform setting, 
whether it is conducted by a Federal agency or by the states."

The meeting minutes contain other timely and informative discussions on medical 
radiation issues. Hard copies can be obtained from this office, or by contacting 
NRC directly. 

We would also advise those interested in this subject to read the IOM report for 
themselves. The plethora of negative rhetoric in this forum which has been 
directed against the report and its authors, suggests that rather few commentors 
have actually done so.

All standard disclaimers apply.
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Rita Aldrich              	"Rad. Health Unit"<raldrich@emi.com>
Principal Radiophysicist         voice: 518-457-1202
NYS Dept. of Labor           	 fax:	518-457-5545
Radiological Health Unit      
Blg. 12, Rm 457
State Office Campus
Albany, NY 12240
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