A survey on current usage and future demand of medical radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals in Malaysia.

Globally, the growth of radiopharmaceuticals usage is contributed by the rising incidence of chronic diseases, the emergence of novel radiopharmaceuticals and imaging technology, accessibility and awareness of public towards nuclear medicine. However, the local usage and demand data of radiopharmaceuticals is still remains limited. This cross-sectional survey study was conducted with a universal sampling of all licensed nuclear medicine facilities in Malaysia. The online self-administering questionnaire was participated by public hospitals (5), university hospitals (6) and private hospitals (21). Based on the survey outcomes, ^99mTc, ¹³¹I and ¹⁸F were the common radioisotopes used in current local settings. Monthly average usage of ^99mTc, ¹³¹I and ¹⁸F were found to be <2000mCi, <1000mCi and >1000mCi respectively. ¹⁷⁷Lu, ¹⁸⁶Re and ⁹⁰Y have opted as the common therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. The highly demanded medical radioisotopes from local users were found as ^99mTc, ¹³¹I, ¹⁸F, ⁶⁸Ga, ⁵¹Cr, ¹²³I, ¹⁷⁷Lu, ¹⁵³Sm, ⁹⁰Y and ¹⁸⁶Re. Apart from ¹⁸F, other radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals are routinely sourced from other countries. The majority of the respondents recognized the role of cyclotron based radioisotopes and expressed their willingness to purchase locally produced radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals. However, the majority of the respondents remain undecided with the use of in-house non-GMP graded radiopharmaceuticals. At present, the local production of radioisotope and radiopharmaceutical could not complement the growing demand for nuclear medicine facilities in Malaysia. Alternative technologies shall be explored to ensure the more affordable, accessible, and sustainable supply of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals to the local market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]