Diagnostic radionuclides

In the last decades, nuclear medicine imaging has been increasingly used thanks to the progress of the equipments and the radionuclides drugs. Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), produced in research reactors is used to generate Technetium-99m (Tc-99m), the most frequently used radionuclide for imaging purpose. After a large shortage in the year 2009, concerns raised on securing its supply chain. Past studies by EC and OECD/NEA mainly focused on the front-end of the supply chain. This study aims at assessing among EU Member States the supply chain’s back-end specificities: the good practices and differences in using Mo-99/Tc-99m, and the impact of Health systems reimbursement mechanisms. The number and types of procedures using Tc-99m are difficult to assess, due to a lack of reliable and homogeneous EU-wide database. Tc-99m is essentially used in heart and cancer imaging in EU, overall use reaching 7 to 10 million procedures per year. Tc-99m cost tends to remain marginal in Western Europe nuclear medicine centres, giving no large incentive to optimize its use. In the vast majority of Member States, the Tc-99m is not separately reimbursed but is included in the total price paid for the imaging procedure, and only represent a few percent of the total price.Despite being the most used radionuclide, Mo-99/Tc-99m cost is not a concern for Health Authorities, this should not change in the next years. Their attention being currently focused on PET and other imaging technologies.

MARIO Nicolas;  KOLMAYER Andre;  TURQUET G; 

GOULART DE MEDEIROS Margarida;  JOERGER Anaîs; 

2022-03-17

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC128401

978-92-76-49317-4 (online),   

OP KJ-09-22-113-EN-N (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC128401,   

10.2760/911131 (online),