U.S. National Bureau of Standards/Atomic Industrial Forum radioactivity measurements assurance program

With the above exceptions, the participants as a whole have done very well during the past 8 years and their measurements should continue to show improvement. Since mid-1981, the agreement between AIF and NBS has been modified to recover the cost of an SRM production program over the next two or three years in order for the program to eventually become self-supporting. This will benefit not only the current sponsors of the program, but also hospitals and other users of NBS radiopharmaceutical SRMs by having these standards available to the public on a regular continuing basis. The participants in this program have derived many benefits since its inception in 1975. Through the measurement of blind samples which demonstrate traceability to NBS, the companies have made it easier to comply with some of the regulatory requirements of the FDA and NRC when applying for new drug applications. They also receive monthly feedback on their measurement procedures so that they can promptly determine if their measurement procedures or instruments have gone awry. If the results are satisfactory, they receive reassurance and confidence that they are making good measurements and providing accurately dispensed products.