Tyco Healthcare/Mallinckrodt is not only a major worldwide
manufacturer of nuclear medicine products with its facilities in St. Louis,
MO and the Netherlands; it is a major network of Radiopharmacies.
The Tyco Healthcare/Mallinckrodt
Radiopharmacies first started in 1983 with the opening of the Los Angeles,
San Francisco, Houston and Philadelphia facilities. Today, with 41
facilities in the United States and one in London, England, the
Radiopharmacy network supplies patient-specific unit-dose
radiopharmaceuticals to hospitals and clinics in their service area. Two or
more licensed pharmacists having specialized training in radiopharmaceutical
dispensing staff each facility.
The Practice of Nuclear Pharmacy is
recognized as a specialty within Pharmacy Practice. The American
Pharmaceutical Association defines it as follows:
The "Practice of Nuclear Pharmacy" means a
patient-oriented service that embodies the scientific knowledge and
professional judgement required to improve and promote health through the
assurance of the safe and efficacious use of radiopharmaceuticals and other
drugs.
In order for a pharmacist to practice in the
field, they are required to have a license to practice pharmacy in that
state. Additionally, they must be classified as an "authorized
user" on a radioactive materials license (e.g. NRC) and have a minimum
of 700 hours total of didactic and clinical experience in the use of
radiopharmaceuticals.
Today, close to 90% of all
radiopharmaceutical doses originate from a Radiopharmacy. In fact, the
Mallinckrodt pharmacies consume over 70% of the output of Mallinckrodt's St.
Louis, MO radiopharmaceutical manufacturing plant.
Our customers rely on us to provide them with
patient-specific unit-dose radiopharmaceuticals that are ready to administer
at the time they need them. The short life of the products dispensed
mandates that an efficient method is used to safely transport the doses to
our patients. This is why each Tyco Healthcare/Mallinckrodt Radiopharmacy
operates a delivery service to ensure that the doses are available to the
patients who need them, when they need them.
