Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee (ARSAC) Support Unit

The Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee (ARSAC), which mostly comprises medical practitioners, was set up to advise the Department of Health (DH) on matters relating to the granting of certificates to practice nuclear medicine in the UK, and other related scientific and radiological safety issues. The Medicines (Administration of Radioactive Substances) Regulations 1978 prohibit the administration to human beings of radioactive products except by, or under the supervision of, a doctor or dentist holding an ARSAC certificate. The regulations apply throughout the UK to the use of unsealed radioactive sources in nuclear medicine and of sealed radioactive sources in brachytherapy, for diagnosis, therapy or research.

The ARSAC Support Unit, based at the Radiation Protection Division of the Health Protection Agency at Chilton, provides administrative support to ARSAC and is responsible for processing applications for certificates within the guidelines set out by DH.

Clinicians working in the UK who wish to apply for ARSAC certification should contact

ARSAC Support Unit
Health Protection Agency
Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards
Radiation Protection Division
Chilton
Didcot
Oxon OX11 0RQ

Telephone: 01235 834925
Fax: 01235 834925

Application forms and a full explanation of the certification process and requirements are provided in the Notes for Guidance on the Clinical Administration of Radiopharmaceuticals and Use of Sealed Radioactive Sources. This publication is available on request from the ARSAC Support Unit or may be downloaded from the DH website at www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/arsac. It has also been published in Nuclear Medicine Communications, 21, Supplement January 2000. S1-S95.

Application forms are also available from the ARSAC Support Unit, or they may be downloaded in electronic format from the DH website. Completed application forms with original signatures, must be sent by post to the ARSAC Support Unit at the above address. In general, certificates are issued within six weeks of the receipt of a completed application. Incomplete applications or those requiring additional information will take longer.

In cases where the certificate held by the practitioner is not appropriate for a particular individual administration which is urgently required, an application may be submitted by fax using the Particular Patient Request Form. Advice about such applications and other matters can be sought by telephone or by writing to the ARSAC Support Unit.

Last reviewed: 13 August 2009