Managing Technetium-99m shortage: MedSolutions provides advisory

MedSolutions (www.medsolutions.com), a leading provider of medical management services, has provided an advisory for payors and providers on options regarding the shortage of Technetium-99m (Tc-99m), a radioactive tracer isotope that is widely-used in nuclear medicine studies.

Severe shortages are anticipated through April 10, 2010, due to the shutdown of two or more of the five reactors in the world that produce the precursor of Tc-99m. One of those reactors, the National Research Universal reactor at Chalk River in Canada, produces much of North America's supply of Tc-99m and is undergoing repairs. No definitive re-opening date has been set.

MedSolutions' advisory options, which are available at www.medsolutions.com/marketalert, outline other isotopes that providers can use for certain radiological procedures, or alternative diagnostic studies that can be used, and provide guidance to payors regarding coverage of these tests.

"While the shortage continues to be a concern for the entire nuclear medicine community, our goal is to help providers and payors minimize disruption of diagnostic imaging tests without compromising quality of care," said Gregg Allen, M.D., MedSolutions' chief medical officer.

The company plans to issue another update on the Tc-99m shortage in May 2010.