Handling, assessment, and administration of radionuclides is the responsibility of which professional?

• A. Nuclear Medicine Physician
• B. NM Technologist
• C. Radiation Safety Officer
• D. Health Physicist

Answer: (B)

In nuclear medicine, the person who handles, prepares, assesses, and administers radiopharmaceuticals to patients is the nuclear medicine technologist. They are trained to perform dose calculations, ensure proper aseptic technique, verify patient identity and orders, prepare the radiopharmaceutical, and administer it under appropriate protocols, all while following safety and ALARA principles.

The nuclear medicine physician oversees medical interpretation, patient selection, and clinical decisions, but typically does not perform routine administration. The Radiation Safety Officer is responsible for the overall radiation safety program, policies, regulatory compliance, and exposure monitoring. The Health Physicist focuses on protection measures, shielding design, instrumentation calibration, and facility-wide safety. These roles support safe practice but do not usually involve the day-to-day handling and administration of radionuclides to patients.