The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is importing technetium-99m (Tc-99m) generators from the United States to supply Australian hospitals, clinics and pharmaceutical suppliers.
More than 10,000 doses per week of this nuclear medicine are provided to 250 medical facilities in Australia and the region, and used for diagnosis of a variety of heart, cancer, lung and muscular skeletal conditions.
The US-supplied medicine is ongoing, although not without disruptions, while engineers and regulatory staff work to re-start ANSTO’s processing and distribution facility following a breakdown of a conveyor belt.
“While the breakdown has now been fixed, compliance checks to restart the facility will take some weeks, but importantly we have secured supplies for Australian patients,” an ANSTO spokesperson said.
“ANSTO has worked closely with our customers and the wider Australian health community during the recent supply issues, including during the airline disruption earlier this month.
“ANSTO apologises for the impact this has had, and it is a priority for our organisation to resume local manufacture and distribution of nuclear medicine as soon as possible.”
Once the conveyor belt breakdown is fully resolved, ANSTO will undertake a comprehensive mechanical review of the Mo-99 processing and distribution facility that has been in operation for several decades.
ANSTO can also confirm it is finalising appointment of an external reviewer and expert team to conduct an independent third party review and report on best workplace health and safety practice in the same facility.
This is in relation to a separate event, and in line with a direction received from the independent regulator, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).
ANSTO has already taken many recent steps to improve safety in the processing and distribution facility.
“This appointment is the next step on a path of continuous improvement. Using recommendations from the review, we’ll identify what more can be done to make that facility safer,” the spokesperson said.
“Since August last year, improvements have been made to procedures and instructions, training, the physical equipment, event reporting and the safety culture.
“The joint objective here is to identify what more we can do to make the Mo-99 processing and distribution facility operate better from a mechanical perspective, and also raise the standard of safety performance.
“ANSTO has a history of working transparently with the independent nuclear regulator, and will keep ARPANSA readily informed of the independent review’s progress and outcomes, as well as the next steps.”
ANSTO understands that a copy of ARPANSA’s relevant direction will be tabled in each House of Parliament, in line with statutory requirements, as well as in ARPANSA’s quarterly and annual reports.
Media contact: Phil McCall 0438 619 987
Published: 20/07/2018