IAC Nuclear/PET accreditation is the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission's program for nuclear cardiology, general nuclear medicine, PET and radiopharmaceutical therapy facilities, measured against the IAC Standards & Guidelines for Nuclear/PET Accreditation (effective April 1, 2025) and, for therapy, IAC's separate Radiopharmaceutical Therapy standards. This page is for nuclear medicine, PET and radiopharmaceutical therapy program managers seeking accreditation, adding a modality or expanding therapy services. Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) drafts the program's policies and evidence file for IAC nuclear accreditation; your physicians and radiation safety officer own protocols and safety.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
What is IAC Nuclear/PET accreditation?
IAC describes it this way: "IAC accreditation is a means by which nuclear cardiology, nuclear medicine and PET facilities can evaluate and demonstrate the level of patient care they provide" (IAC, Nuclear/PET). IAC lists four accreditation types: Nuclear Cardiology, General Nuclear Medicine, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Radiopharmaceutical Therapy.
The governing texts:
- The IAC Standards & Guidelines for Nuclear/PET Accreditation, published and effective April 1, 2025.
- The IAC Nuclear/PET Accreditation Checklist & Case Study Requirements, updated March 15, 2026, which lists the documents an application must carry.
- For therapy programs, the IAC Standards and Guidelines for Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Accreditation. The dates differ by source: IAC's document page lists August 21, 2026, while the PDF's own text reads "published and effective on June 23, 2023," with additional recommendations published April 1, 2025. Confirm the current version with IAC before you build to it. The therapy standard defines the facility: "A radiopharmaceutical therapy facility is defined as a facility where radiopharmaceutical therapies are administered and is composed of, at a minimum, a qualified Medical Director and Technical Director."
Accreditation sits on top of a license, not in place of one. Federal rule 10 CFR 35.11(a) states that a person may "manufacture, produce, acquire, receive, possess, prepare, use, or transfer byproduct material for medical use only in accordance with a specific license issued by the Commission or an Agreement State." NRC states that it "(or the responsible Agreement State) has regulatory authority over the possession and use of byproduct, source, or special nuclear material in medicine" (NRC, Medical Uses).
Who needs it and what triggers it
- Medicare billing for nuclear imaging outside a hospital. CMS lists "Nuclear medicine imaging, such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET)" as advanced diagnostic imaging and states that "Any supplier that performs the technical component of ADI must be accredited." The requirement "doesn't apply to hospitals or critical access hospitals" (CMS, Accreditation of Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Suppliers).
- Adding a testing area. IAC accredits by testing area, and its fee schedule charges per additional testing area, so adding PET or general nuclear medicine to a nuclear cardiology program changes the application (IAC program fees).
- Starting or expanding radiopharmaceutical therapy, which IAC accredits as its own type under its own standard.
- Renewal. IAC application fees "cover each three-year accreditation cycle" (IAC program fees).
How IHS helps
IHS works through the IAC standards with your team:
- A gap assessment against the IAC Nuclear/PET standards, and the radiopharmaceutical therapy standards when therapy is in scope, using questionnaires on authorized users, safety roles and quality improvement review.
- Document and evidence mapping: a crosswalk from each checklist item to the record that shows you meet it.
- Drafted policies, document control and QI review procedures, with clinical and stress protocols drafted for your physicians and radiation safety officer to review and approve.
- A mock review of the application file against the standards and checklist.
- Readiness support while you assemble case studies and respond to IAC.
What you supply: the IAC standards, your radioactive materials license, authorized-user records, QC and maintenance records, and your nuclear medicine physicians, physicists and radiation safety officer.
The limit: radiation safety, materials control and therapy dosing are licensed functions. IHS does not perform them, and therapy adds separate scope. Your facility holds the license and submits the application; IHS does not submit to IAC or correspond with IAC or a licensing agency on your behalf.
What to have ready
This is the list we would ask for first. Items cite the IAC Nuclear/PET Accreditation Checklist (updated 3-15-2026) unless noted.
- Your "NRC/Agreement State Radioactive Materials License (for each site listed on the application)."
- The written appointment of your Radiation Safety Officer. Under 10 CFR 35.24(b), "A licensee's management shall appoint a Radiation Safety Officer who agrees, in writing, to be responsible for implementing the radiation protection program."
- A CME/CE record for every staff member: "All staff members are required to have 15 CME/CE relevant to nuclear medicine/PET every three years."
- Minutes of your QI meetings: "A minimum of two Nuclear/PET QI meetings per year must be held to review the findings of the QI measures and to determine actions for improvement of performance."
- Preventive maintenance records: "Preventive maintenance must be performed semiannually by qualified service personnel."
- Case studies dated correctly: "All case studies must be from within one year from the application submission date."
- At least one case study read by your Medical Director: "At least one case study must be interpreted by the Medical Director."
- A list of the testing areas you will apply for: Nuclear Cardiology, General Nuclear Medicine, PET or Radiopharmaceutical Therapy (IAC).
- For therapy, a named Medical Director and Technical Director, the minimum the Radiopharmaceutical Therapy standard requires.
If most of this is in place, the introductory call is the place to start.
How it compares
| Route | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| IAC Nuclear/PET | Four types, including radiopharmaceutical therapy (IAC). A CMS-approved accrediting organization for advanced diagnostic imaging (CMS). Review "generally takes approximately 8 to 10 weeks to complete" (IAC). |
| ACR Nuclear Medicine & PET | Listed among ACR's accreditation modalities (ACR) and a CMS-approved ADI accrediting organization (CMS). |
| The Joint Commission or RadSite | Both are CMS-approved ADI accrediting organizations (CMS). We did not review nuclear-specific program pages for either. |
| No accreditation | Hospitals and critical access hospitals are outside the MIPPA ADI requirement (CMS). The radioactive materials license is required regardless (10 CFR 35.11). |
This page does not recommend one route over another. The choice belongs to your organization.
What it costs
IAC publishes its Nuclear/PET fees: a "$3,800 application base fee (includes one testing area/module)," "$500" per additional testing area over one, Radiopharmaceutical Therapy at "$4,000" for up to three therapy procedures and "$6,000" for four or more, and "$3,000" for an expedited application. The fees "cover each three-year accreditation cycle" (IAC Nuclear/PET program fees). ACR's fee article lists Nuclear Medicine "First unit with one module $2,300" and PET "First unit with one module $2,300" (ACR, Fees and Payments). Verify current fees with IAC and ACR. NRC and Agreement State license fees were not part of our review.
IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.
What this is not
- IHS is not an accrediting body and does not grant, influence or predict an IAC or ACR decision.
- IHS does not perform radiation safety, materials control or therapy dosing, and does not apply for or amend your materials license. IHS drafts; your facility submits.
- This page is not legal, clinical or radiation safety advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is IAC Nuclear/PET accreditation, and which testing areas does it cover?
IAC describes it as a means by which nuclear cardiology, nuclear medicine and PET facilities can evaluate and demonstrate the level of patient care they provide. It covers four types: Nuclear Cardiology, General Nuclear Medicine, PET and Radiopharmaceutical Therapy. The governing text is the IAC Standards & Guidelines for Nuclear/PET Accreditation, effective April 1, 2025.
Does a nuclear cardiology practice need accreditation to bill Medicare for SPECT or PET?
CMS lists nuclear medicine imaging, such as PET, as advanced diagnostic imaging and states that any supplier that performs the technical component of ADI must be accredited. The requirement does not apply to hospitals or critical access hospitals. CMS-approved accrediting organizations are ACR, IAC, The Joint Commission and RadSite.
IAC vs ACR for nuclear medicine and PET accreditation: which fits a cardiology practice?
Both are CMS-approved accrediting organizations for advanced diagnostic imaging, and both list nuclear medicine and PET. IAC also offers Nuclear Cardiology and Radiopharmaceutical Therapy as named types. The choice belongs to your practice; IHS works to whichever route you select.
What is IAC radiopharmaceutical therapy accreditation?
It is a separate IAC accreditation type with its own standard. That standard defines a therapy facility as one where radiopharmaceutical therapies are administered, composed at a minimum of a qualified Medical Director and Technical Director. The IAC document page and the PDF text show different dates, so confirm the current version with IAC.
What documents does IAC require for a nuclear/PET application?
The 2026 IAC checklist includes the NRC or Agreement State radioactive materials license for each site, CME/CE records, minutes of at least two QI meetings per year, semiannual preventive maintenance documentation, and case studies. The checklist was updated March 15, 2026.
How do the NRC or Agreement State materials license and accreditation relate?
They are separate. Under 10 CFR 35.11(a), medical use of byproduct material requires a specific license issued by NRC or an Agreement State, whether or not the facility is accredited. IAC's checklist asks for that license for each site listed on the application.
Who appoints the radiation safety officer?
Under 10 CFR 35.24(b), the licensee's management appoints a Radiation Safety Officer who agrees, in writing, to be responsible for implementing the radiation protection program. IHS can draft the program's documents around that role; the radiation safety work itself belongs to the RSO.
How much does IAC nuclear/PET accreditation cost, including therapy?
IAC publishes a $3,800 application base fee that includes one testing area, $500 per additional testing area, and $4,000 or $6,000 for radiopharmaceutical therapy depending on the number of therapy procedures. An expedited application is $3,000, and fees cover each three-year cycle. Verify current fees with IAC.
How many case studies are needed and how recent must they be?
IAC's checklist states that all case studies must be from within one year from the application submission date. At least one case study must be interpreted by the Medical Director.
How long does IAC review take?
IAC states that the application review process generally takes approximately 8 to 10 weeks, at which time the decision is provided to the facility. The time your team needs to assemble the file comes before that.