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Veterinary Uses of Nuclear Materials
Regulatory authority over the use of ionizing radiation in veterinary use
is shared among several federal, state, and local government agencies. NRC
(or the responsible Agreement
State) has regulatory authority over the possession and use of byproduct
or source material in veterinary medicine. Byproduct material is used in some
calibration sources, radioactive drugs, bone mineral analyzers, portable fluoroscopic
imaging devices, brachytherapy sources and devices, and teletherapy units
used in veterinary medicine. Source material is used for radiation shielding
and counterweights in therapy devices.
NRC’s byproduct material veterinary use licenses are issued pursuant
to NRC regulations in 10 CFR Part 30, "Rules of general applicability
to domestic licensing of byproduct material." Because NRC has fewer veterinary
licenses and does not have regulations specific to veterinary medical uses,
it does not distinguish between different types of veterinary practices the
way it does for medical use.
Veterinary use includes diagnostic, therapeutic, and research veterinary
uses of radioactive drugs and devices. These licenses usually are issued for
the treatment of domestic pets and non-food animals. At the present time,
no radioactive veterinary drugs have been approved for use in animals intended
for the human food supply.
Some veterinary practices only have regulated material in the form of prepackaged
in vivo diagnostic test kits. The amount of nuclear material used these practices
determines whether possession and use of the kits is authorized by specific
license pursuant to 10 CFR Part 30 or a general license pursuant to 10 CFR
31.11. See the general license section for those materials generally licensed
pursuant to 10 CFR 31.11. See 10 CFR 31.11, "General License for Use of Byproduct Material for Certain In Vitro Clinical or Laboratory Testing" for the registration requirements and the materials that can be used under this general license.
The Food and Drug Administration oversees the good manufacturing practices
in manufacture of radio-pharmaceuticals, clinical tests materials and radiation-producing
x-ray machines and accelerators. The states regulate the practices of veterinary
medicine and pharmacy and administer programs associated with radiation-producing
x-ray machines and accelerators.
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