International Corner

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE (ANZSNM)

The ANZSNM is a nonprofit organization with a charter to facilitate improved health outcomes for the community; advance the clinical practice of nuclear medicine in Australia and New Zealand; train individuals for professional practice in all facets of nuclear medicine; provide opportunities for lifelong learning and advancement; foster cooperation between organizations and individuals interested in nuclear medicine; provide opportunities for collegial discussion on all aspects of nuclear medicine, research, and development; and educate the public on the benefits of nuclear medicine techniques at national and regional levels. The society’s mission is to improve public health by expanding functional imaging using radiopharmaceuticals and radionuclide therapy in Australia and New Zealand with a view to becoming the preeminent organization representing multidisciplinary nuclear medicine professionals in Australia and New Zealand, with international recognition.

Membership and Benefits

The ANZSNM has membership from all professions involved in the practice of nuclear medicine, including nuclear medicine specialists, radiologists, nuclear medicine technologists, physicists, radiochemists, radiopharmacists, nurses, trainees, students, and corporate members. A professional secretariat and general manager oversee the daily activities of the society, with a membership-elected board of directors being responsible for general business. Each craft group is supported by a special interest group that represents the specific interests of its profession, including development of standards and competencies. The largest of these is the technologist special interest group, representing approximately 900 technologist members. This group has been integral in the introduction of a national registration scheme for technologists that includes updates to the scope of practice, a supervised practice program, course accreditation, and continuing professional development. The ANZSNM has a comprehensive continuing professional development program that includes regular continuing education activities at a state level, as well as national, rural, and metropolitan workshops on a variety of topics. The technologist special interest group continues to work on advanced practice issues, specifically addressing the need for training programs in CT, MRI, and electrocardiography, as well as reviewing the existing overseas qualification program to update the exam modules by incorporating advances in hybrid imaging and PET/CT.

Collaboration on Clinical Trials Network

The ANZSNM has collaborated with the Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists to form a clinical trials network to support and facilitate the development of research expertise and protocols within Australia and New Zealand. Known as the Australasian Radiopharmaceuticals Trials Network (www.artnet.org.au), it was officially launched during the 2014 annual scientific meeting in Adelaide with the announcement of the membership of the executive board and scientific committee. The network has a charter to promote and facilitate collaborative clinical research utilizing radiopharmaceuticals for imaging and therapy to harmonize imaging protocols for research, support multicenter clinical trials, and promote collaboration in outcomes-based research with radiopharmaceuticals. To date, the network has provided input to several multicenter clinical trials and is working on a submission to investigate the impact of ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET/CT on the management of prostate cancer.

Tracer Development and Availability

There have been rapid advances over the last 3 years in the development of new tracers, especially in the area of PET, with ⁶⁸Ga-labeled tracers being hailed as the new ^99mTc for PET. The ANZSNM is increasingly aware of the regulatory obstacles that are preventing ready availability of new tracers and has been working with the Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists and government bodies to address this issue, especially in relation to funding and approvals. Over the next 5 years this will be an important focus for the organization, which is actively involved with a current global initiative looking at the international availability of radiopharmaceuticals. As part of this, the society will be increasing relations with patient advocacy groups and working on incorporating a patient stream as part of the annual meeting to educate the public and patients on the role of nuclear medicine in health.

2015 Annual Scientific Meeting

The ANZSNM holds its annual scientific meeting in mid April each year either in Australia or New Zealand. The next meeting will be held in Rotorua, New Zealand, April 22–25, with the theme “Hot Science: An Eruption of Isotopes” (www.anzsnm2016.com). The meeting will be held at the Energy Events Centre, which is on the edge of Lake Rotorua on the grounds of the government gardens. A diverse mix of international and local invited speakers presenting on their area of expertise will contribute to a high-caliber scientific program. The meeting aims to present findings and innovations from Australasian research and to encourage collaboration. The ANZSNMT held its 7th annual workshop in Hobart, Tasmania, with the theme “Molecular Imaging in the Dark MoFo,” with more than 60 attendees. The workshop is held in June–July each year, predominately in a rural or nonmetropolitan location to provide continuing education and continuing professional development to remote technologists. The next meeting will be in Canberra, the capital city of Australia, on Saturday, July 23, and will be easily accessible to great ski resorts.