Section 335.9100  Training for Use of Manual Brachytherapy Sources

Except as provided in Section 335.9160 of this Part, the licensee shall require the authorized user of a manual brachytherapy source in accordance with Section 335.7010 of this Part to be a physician who:

a)         Is certified by a medical specialty board whose certification process has been recognized by the Agency, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an Agreement State or a Licensing State and who meets the requirements in subsection (b)(3) below.  To be recognized, a specialty board shall require all candidates for certification to:

1)         Successfully complete a minimum of 3 years of residency training in a radiation oncology program approved by the Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the Committee on Post-Graduate Training of the American Osteopathic Association;

2)         Pass an examination, administered by the diplomate of the specialty board that tests knowledge and competence in radiation safety, radionuclide handling, treatment planning, quality assurance and clinical use of manual brachytherapy sources; or

AGENCY NOTE:  Specialty boards whose certification processes have been recognized by the Agency, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an Agreement State or a Licensing State will be posted on the NRC's Web page.

b)         Has:

1)         Completed a structured educational program in basic radionuclide handling techniques applicable to the use of manual brachytherapy sources that includes:

A)        200 hours of classroom and laboratory training in the following areas:

i)          Radiation physics and instrumentation;

ii)         Radiation protection;

iii)         Mathematics pertaining to the use and measurement of radioactivity;

iv)        Radiation biology; and

B)        500 hours of work experience under the supervision of an authorized user who meets the requirements in this Section or equivalent U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Agreement State or Licensing State requirements at a medical institution involving:

i)          Ordering, receiving and unpacking radioactive materials safely and performing the related radiation monitoring;

ii)         Checking survey instruments for proper operation;

iii)         Preparing, implanting and removing brachytherapy sources;

iv)        Maintaining running inventories of material on hand;

v)         Using administrative controls to prevent medical events involving radioactive material;

vi)        Using emergency procedures to control radioactive material; and

2)         Completed 3 years of supervised clinical experience in radiation oncology under an authorized user who meets the requirements in this Section or equivalent U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Agreement State or Licensing State requirements as a part of a formal training program approved by the Residency Review Committee for Radiation Oncology of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the Committee on Postdoctoral Training of the American Osteopathic Association.  This experience may be obtained concurrently with the supervised work experience required by subsection (b)(1)(B) of this Section;  and

3)         Obtained written attestation, signed by a preceptor authorized user who meets the requirements in this Section or equivalent U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Agreement State or Licensing State requirements, that the individual has satisfactorily completed the requirements in subsection (a)(1), or subsections (b)(1) and (2), of this Section and has achieved a level of competency sufficient to function independently as an authorized user of manual brachytherapy sources for the medical uses authorized under Section 335.7010 of this Part.

(Source:  Amended at 32 Ill. Reg. 9247, effective June 13, 2008)