diff --git a/monai/data/dataset.py b/monai/data/dataset.py
index 8b8845f20a..989de09c18 100644
--- a/monai/data/dataset.py
+++ b/monai/data/dataset.py
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@
 from torch.utils.data import Dataset as _TorchDataset
 from torch.utils.data import Subset
 
-from monai.data.utils import convert_tables_to_dicts, pickle_hashing
+from monai.data.utils import SUPPORTED_PICKLE_MOD, convert_tables_to_dicts, pickle_hashing
 from monai.transforms import Compose, Randomizable, ThreadUnsafe, Transform, apply_transform
-from monai.utils import MAX_SEED, ensure_tuple, get_seed, min_version, optional_import
+from monai.utils import MAX_SEED, ensure_tuple, get_seed, look_up_option, min_version, optional_import
 from monai.utils.misc import first
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ def __init__(
         transform: Union[Sequence[Callable], Callable],
         cache_dir: Optional[Union[Path, str]],
         hash_func: Callable[..., bytes] = pickle_hashing,
-        pickle_module=pickle,
+        pickle_module: str = "pickle",
         pickle_protocol=pickle.DEFAULT_PROTOCOL,
     ) -> None:
         """
@@ -169,9 +169,10 @@ def __init__(
                 If `cache_dir` is `None`, there is effectively no caching.
             hash_func: a callable to compute hash from data items to be cached.
                 defaults to `monai.data.utils.pickle_hashing`.
-            pickle_module: module used for pickling metadata and objects, default to `pickle`.
+            pickle_module: string representing the module used for pickling metadata and objects, default to `"pickle"`.
                 this arg is used by `torch.save`, for more details, please check:
-                https://pytorch.org/docs/stable/generated/torch.save.html#torch.save.
+                https://pytorch.org/docs/stable/generated/torch.save.html#torch.save,
+                and ``monai.data.utils.SUPPORTED_PICKLE_MOD``.
             pickle_protocol: can be specified to override the default protocol, default to `2`.
                 this arg is used by `torch.save`, for more details, please check:
                 https://pytorch.org/docs/stable/generated/torch.save.html#torch.save.
@@ -287,7 +288,7 @@ def _cachecheck(self, item_transformed):
                 torch.save(
                     obj=_item_transformed,
                     f=temp_hash_file,
-                    pickle_module=self.pickle_module,
+                    pickle_module=look_up_option(self.pickle_module, SUPPORTED_PICKLE_MOD),
                     pickle_protocol=self.pickle_protocol,
                 )
                 if temp_hash_file.is_file() and not hashfile.is_file():
@@ -317,7 +318,7 @@ def __init__(
         cache_n_trans: int,
         cache_dir: Optional[Union[Path, str]],
         hash_func: Callable[..., bytes] = pickle_hashing,
-        pickle_module=pickle,
+        pickle_module: str = "pickle",
         pickle_protocol=pickle.DEFAULT_PROTOCOL,
     ) -> None:
         """
@@ -335,9 +336,10 @@ def __init__(
                 If `cache_dir` is `None`, there is effectively no caching.
             hash_func: a callable to compute hash from data items to be cached.
                 defaults to `monai.data.utils.pickle_hashing`.
-            pickle_module: module used for pickling metadata and objects, default to `pickle`.
+            pickle_module: string representing the module used for pickling metadata and objects, default to `"pickle"`.
                 this arg is used by `torch.save`, for more details, please check:
-                https://pytorch.org/docs/stable/generated/torch.save.html#torch.save.
+                https://pytorch.org/docs/stable/generated/torch.save.html#torch.save,
+                and ``monai.data.utils.SUPPORTED_PICKLE_MOD``.
             pickle_protocol: can be specified to override the default protocol, default to `2`.
                 this arg is used by `torch.save`, for more details, please check:
                 https://pytorch.org/docs/stable/generated/torch.save.html#torch.save.
diff --git a/monai/data/utils.py b/monai/data/utils.py
index e68dd387ff..61c773c204 100644
--- a/monai/data/utils.py
+++ b/monai/data/utils.py
@@ -76,8 +76,12 @@
     "pad_list_data_collate",
     "no_collation",
     "convert_tables_to_dicts",
+    "SUPPORTED_PICKLE_MOD",
 ]
 
+# module to be used by `torch.save`
+SUPPORTED_PICKLE_MOD = {"pickle": pickle}
+
 
 def get_random_patch(
     dims: Sequence[int], patch_size: Sequence[int], rand_state: Optional[np.random.RandomState] = None
diff --git a/tests/test_persistentdataset.py b/tests/test_persistentdataset.py
index e7475df1f0..9c66d3d10c 100644
--- a/tests/test_persistentdataset.py
+++ b/tests/test_persistentdataset.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ def test_cache(self):
                 data=items,
                 transform=_InplaceXform(),
                 cache_dir=tempdir,
-                pickle_module=pickle,
+                pickle_module="pickle",
                 pickle_protocol=pickle.HIGHEST_PROTOCOL,
             )
             self.assertEqual(items, [[[]], [[0]], [[0, 1]], [[0, 1, 2]], [[0, 1, 2, 3]]])