Dear CAMRT members,
This is a follow up to the February 2, 2018 message on the the current global supply situation of medical isotopes.
The AIPES’ Emergency Response Team has advised of the following:
- From February 19-22, 2018, there will be two reactors in operation and the global supply of medical isotopes will be tight.
- Mo-99 processors plan to operate at maximum capacity for the rest of this month.
- The NTP reactor in South Africa continues to be temporarily shutdown and a restart date has not yet been communicated.
- To date, the NTP reactor situation has had a minimal impact on patients.
Producers and suppliers are continuing to work collaboratively during this period to minimize the impact on patients. In light of the reactor schedule for next week, it is recommended that particular attention be made by clinicians to the efficient usage of medical isotopes. For your reference, a link to the Supply Management Application to Rank Uses of Technetium-99m (The “S.M.A.R.T.” Tool) is noted here https://www.cadth.ca/SMART-Tool.
The Government of Canada is monitoring the situation closely and is committed to keeping you informed as we receive updated information.
As we mentioned in the last update, we are interested to hear if you are experiencing any disruption to your own local supply of medical isotopes. Please send these updates, or any other feedback to Christopher Topham, Director of Advocacy and Communications at ctopham@camrt.ca.
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