Radiopharmacy teaching at the School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry of the Buenos Aires University

M.B. ZUBILLAGA; G.P. CALMANOVICI; G. MARTÍN; M.J. SALGUEIRO; N.M. LEONARDI; C. GOLDMAN; A. KLECHA; G. CREMASCHI; C. DAVIO; G CRICCO; A. GUTIERREZ; C. COCCA; A. GENARO; A. BIANCHIN; N. MOHAMED; M. NUÑEZ; V. MEDINA; G. GARBARINO; E.S. RIVERA; R.M. BERGOC

Punta del Este, Uruguay

Congreso; Primer Congreso Uruguayo de Medicina Nuclear. XX Congreso de ALASBIMN.; 2005

ALASBIMN.

Since 1960, at the School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry of the Buenos Aires University, Argentina, we teach radioisotopes methodology at different levels, to harmonize the use of these methodologies with environmental preservation and to provide education and training on radioprotection. The school has been offering five different courses: 1) Methodology of Radioisotopes for undergraduate students in the Biochemistry Career, 2) Methodology of Radioisotopes for post-Graduate in Biochemistry, Biology, Chemists or other related disciplines, 3) Course for Graduate in Medicine, 4) Up-date on Methodology of Radioisotopes and  5) Course for Technicians in Nuclear Medicine. Radiopharmaceuticals, along with imaging instrumentation, are the basis that support the clinical nuclear medicine allowing the better understanding of human disease and developing effective treatments. Continuous evolution  in the field of radiopharmaceuticals is due to the immense contributions of scientist from diverse disciplines such as radiochemistry, inorganic and organic chemistry, biochemistry, physiology and pharmacology. The radiopharmaceuticals, as all the pharmaceuticals, requires that the process and the final formulation are in compliance with the codes of good manufacturing practices (GMP). There is a constant need to develope appropriate guidelines of GMP for radiopharmaceuticals, due to the requirements for handling radioactivity and formulating products for intravenous administration. There is a permanent need to formulate radiopharmaceuticals cost effectively, with a high standard of consistent quality and to improve the systems for dispensing the PET and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. The developments in the radiopharmaceuticals field are making nuclear medicine an important modality for diagnosis and therapy of many diseases. For these reasons, since 2004 the University of Buenos Aires approved the teaching of the subject Radiopharmacy, for undergraduate students in the Pharmacy Career. The goal of this course is to train Pharmacists in the development, preparation and quality control of radiopharmaceuticals in the industry and radiopharmacies. We focus on training professionals for greater pharmaceutical safety and better radiation hygiene. We have a staff of more than 20 scientists and professors, most of them with the maximum academic degree (Ph.D), and the participation of specialists from the National Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Nuclear Medicine Centers, National Radiopharmaceutical Laboratories, National Comission of Atomic Energy. poster