Training activity information
Details
Prepare therapy doses
Type
Developmental training activity (DTA)
Evidence requirements
Evidence the activity has been undertaken by the trainee.
Reflection on the activity at one or more time points after the event including learning from the activity and/or areas of the trainees practice for development.
An action plan to implement learning and/or to address skills or knowledge gaps identified.
Considerations
- National legislation and guidance
- Nuclear medicine protocols
- Unit SOPs
- Local rules
- Safe and accurate working
- Incident reporting
- Order, receipt and storage of radioactive products
- Decay calculations
- Product documentation
- Pre and in-process checks
- Release process
- Limits of practice
- Quality assurance and quality control
- Radiation monitoring
- Troubleshooting
- Product formulation
- Dispatch and transport regulations
- Clinical impact of non-compliance and deviation
- Clinical application of therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals
- Administration of radiopharmaceuticals
- Radiation protection
- Waste management
Reflective practice guidance
The guidance below is provided to support reflection at different time points, providing you with questions to aid you to reflect for this training activity. They are provided for guidance and should not be considered as a mandatory checklist. Trainees should not be expected to provide answers to each of the guidance questions listed.
Before action
- What are the specific therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals you will be preparing? What are their intended clinical uses?
- What are the specific protocols and SOPs for preparing these therapy doses?
- What calculations are required to determine the correct activity for each dose? Are you familiar with these calculations?
- What are the critical quality control measures for therapy doses?
- What are the specific radiation safety precautions that must be followed when handling therapeutic radionuclides?
- What practical skills in aseptic technique and radiopharmaceutical manipulation do you hope to develop?
- How will this experience enhance your understanding of the importance of accuracy and precision in preparing therapeutic doses?
- What insights do you expect to gain into the application of quality assurance in the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals for treatment?
- Review the relevant SOPs and protocols for the specific therapy doses you will be preparing.
- Practice any necessary calculations beforehand to ensure accuracy.
- Consider potential errors that could occur during preparation and how to prevent or mitigate them.
In action
- Pay attention to your actions as you prepare the therapy doses
- How are you approaching each step of the preparation process (e.g., calculations, aseptic technique, quality control)? Why are you performing each action in this specific way?
- What decisions are you making as the preparation progresses (e.g., adjustments to volumes, checks on equipment, interpretation of readings)?
- What aspects of the dose preparation feel intuitive, and what requires more conscious effort and adherence to protocols?
- How effective are your actions in accurately and safely preparing the therapy doses according to the prescription and relevant procedures?
- What challenges are you facing during this preparation (e.g., complex calculations, equipment malfunctions, time constraints)?
- What can you learn about the practicalities and potential pitfalls of therapy dose preparation as it unfolds?
- How does this activity relate to your existing knowledge of radiopharmaceutical properties, dispensing practices, and patient safety?
- Are there alternative approaches you could be considering if you encounter difficulties (e.g., seeking assistance, using backup equipment, recalculating based on new information)?
- What support or guidance might you need in this moment from senior staff?
- Are you ensuring all your actions remain within your defined scope of practice for preparing therapy doses?
On action
- Describe the process you followed to prepare the therapy doses.
- What were the key steps involved? What aspects of the preparation process required the most attention to detail?
- What were your observations regarding the equipment, materials, and environment used for preparing therapy doses?
- What specific skills or knowledge related to the preparation of therapy doses did you develop or improve?
- Did you encounter any challenges during the preparation process? How did you address them, and what did you learn from this experience?
- How did this activity contribute to your understanding of safe practice with sterile radiopharmaceuticals?
- What did you learn about the importance of accuracy and precision when preparing therapy doses?
- What aspects of therapy dose preparation do you feel more confident in now?
- Are there any areas where you still feel you need further development?
- How will this experience influence your approach to preparing therapy doses in the future to ensure safety and accuracy?
- What actions will you take to further develop your competency in preparing therapy doses?
- What support or resources might be beneficial for your continued development in this area?
Beyond action
- Have you reflected on your experiences of preparing therapy doses in light of subsequent experiences with diagnostic dose preparation or handling higher activity materials?
- Have you re-evaluated any challenges you faced during therapy dose preparation (or simulation) and considered how your approach to similar challenges might differ now? Have you discussed your experiences of therapy dose preparation with colleagues, considering if their perspectives have offered new insights?
- How has preparing therapy doses enhanced your understanding of safe practice with sterile radiopharmaceuticals?
- Has this experience improved your planning and management of preparation sessions for other types of radiopharmaceuticals?
- How has this training activity contributed to your application of pharmaceutical quality management systems in your routine work?
- How might the skills and knowledge gained from preparing therapy doses be transferable to the preparation of novel therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals or participation in clinical trials?
- Will your experience in ensuring the accuracy and safety of therapy dose preparation contribute to your ability to manage complex radiopharmacy workflows in the future?
- What clear actions for continued development in the area of therapy dose preparation have you identified as a result of this reflection?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 1 |
Outcome
Demonstrate safe practice with sterile radiopharmaceuticals and blood products. |
| # 2 |
Outcome
Plan and manage preparation sessions for a range of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. |
| # 5 |
Outcome
Evaluate and apply pharmaceutical quality management systems. |