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Radiopharmaceuticals

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Practical Pharmaceutics

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Abstract

Radiopharmacy is a discipline concerned with the preparation and quality control of radiopharmaceuticals. The term radiopharmacy is also used for the pharmacy where these activities are carried out. Radiopharmaceuticals are medicinal products that contain radionuclides (radioactive isotopes). Radionuclides are produced in nuclear reactors or in cyclotrons. The most important radionuclides used in nuclear medicine for diagnostics are technetium-99m (99mTc) for SPECT and fluorine-18 (18F) and gallium-68 (68Ga) for PET imaging. For therapeutic purposes alpha emitters like radium-223 (223Ra) and actinium-225 (225Ac) and beta emitters like iodine-131 (131I) and lutetium-177 (177Lu) are in use.

Radiopharmaceuticals are used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Therapeutic or palliative treatment with alpha and beta emitting radiopharmaceuticals is increasing, due to their improved availability. Radiopharmaceuticals are administered parenterally, orally or by inhalation. When they are used for diagnostic purposes minute quantities are used. The radiopharmaceutical accumulates in target tissues and emits radiation that can be directly or indirectly detected by imaging techniques, such as PET and SPECT. Therapeutic or palliative use requires higher dosages of alpha or beta emitting radiopharmaceuticals compared to radiolabelled diagnostics. Ionising radiation from radiolabelled therapeutics is directed to damage the target tissue causing minimal damage to other parts of the body.

Radiopharmaceuticals are regulated both as medicinal products and as radioactive substances. Therefore, both medicine legislation and radiation protection regulations (nuclear energy legislation) are applicable. These regulations dictate both design and layout principles of the radiopharmacy and the general handling and control procedures that should be applied when preparing and dispensing radiopharmaceuticals.

Radiopharmaceuticals used in hospitals are prepared, tested and released under the responsibility of a (radio)pharmacist. In this chapter the most important pharmaceutical aspects of radiopharmaceuticals are highlighted.

Based upon Chapter 15 Radiopharmaceuticals, by Rogier Lange, Marco Prins and Adrie de Jong in the 2015 edition of Practical Pharmaceutics.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands

    Rogier Lange

  2. GE Healthcare Radiopharmacy Zwolle, Zwolle, the Netherlands

    Nanno Schreuder

  3. Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Location VUmc), Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    Harry Hendrikse

Authors
  1. Rogier Lange
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  2. Nanno Schreuder
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  3. Harry Hendrikse
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rogier Lange .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Paul Le Brun

  2. Pharmacy Department, MINT URM Inserm 1066 CNRS 6021, University of Angers, CHU Angers, Angers, France

    Sylvie Crauste-Manciet

  3. Apotheke der Universitätsmedizin, Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany

    Irene Krämer

  4. JCS Pharma Consulting Ltd., Newport, Gwent, UK

    Julian Smith

  5. Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Herman Woerdenbag

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Lange, R., Schreuder, N., Hendrikse, H. (2023). Radiopharmaceuticals. In: Le Brun, P., Crauste-Manciet, S., Krämer, I., Smith, J., Woerdenbag, H. (eds) Practical Pharmaceutics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20298-8_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20298-8_23

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