Nuclear Medicine/ Radiopharmacy

Nuclear medicine requires the use of radioactive materials or radioactive tracers (radiopharmaceuticals) to assess bodily functions, and to diagnose and treat diseases most notably, for various forms of cancer.

Therapeutic uses of radioactive materials are typically intended to kill cancerous tissue, reduce tumor size, or reduce pain. Meanwhile, diagnostic procedures generally involve the use of relatively small amounts of radioactive materials to facilitate in the imaging of certain organs. These radioactive materials aid physicians in locating and identifying tumors, size anomalies, or other physiological or functional organ problems.

Specially designed cameras allow physicians to track the path of these radioactive tracers. Two of the imaging modalities which are most commonly used are Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans.

When preparing radiopharmaceuticals or when radiolabeling biologic products (e.g., MABs, peptides), aseptic technique and methods must be maintained throughout the entire process since a significant majority of these are produced for parenteral route.

Standard procedures, best practices, facilities, and equipment for the preparation and dispensing of radiopharmaceuticals are also essential to any radiopharmaceutical-related operations. Appropriate engineering controls and work practices are essential to provide operator, product, and environmental protection against exposure to radioactivity. Notably, the use of engineering controls and proper standard operating procedures do not totally eliminate radiation, rather, it only minimizes or attenuates the dose that the operator is exposed to.

Moreover, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) also establishes and enforces radiation safety standards (e.g., limits for radiation doses, levels of radiation in an area, concentrations of radioactivity in air and waste water, waste disposal precautionary procedures) for the compounding facility.

Esco is committed in providing quality equipment with the highest level of containment from potential harmful substances. Together with its wide range of innovative and turnkey solutions, backed with its four (4) core technologies, Esco Pharma enables various industries such as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals to comply with the internationally accredited GMP, as well as, industrial, environmental, and health and safety standards.

References:

Allen, L., & Ansel, H. (2014). Ansel’s Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems (10th ed.). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2019). Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). Retrieved from: https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/fda-organization/center-biologics-evaluation-and-research-cber
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (2017). Nuclear Medicine: What It Is — and Isn’t. Retrieved from: https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/radiation/protects-you/nuclear-medicine.html#:~:text=Nuclear%20medicine%20is%20the%20use,radioactive%20materials%20for%20nuclear%20medicine.

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