RadionuklidLabel

RadionuklidLabel is a term used in radiopharmacy and nuclear medicine to describe the labeling system applied to radionuclide-containing materials and devices. The label is intended to ensure safe handling, proper use, and traceability throughout the product lifecycle, from manufacturing to administration and disposal. In practice, a RadionuklidLabel is affixed to vials, syringes, or shielding containers and may be implemented as a printed label or integrated into a barcode or RFID tag.

A typical label includes the radionuclide name or isotope, chemical form, activity (with units such as MBq or mCi), date and time of activity, calibration date, and the physical half-life. It also records the batch or lot number, supplier, storage conditions, and the expiration date. Safety information, hazard symbols, and handling or storage instructions may also appear. Many implementations use machine-readable data, such as barcodes or QR codes, that link to an electronic record in a laboratory information management system (LIMS) or inventory management system, enabling rapid lookup and audit trails.

Regulatory and quality considerations are central. Label design and content are guided by national medicine regulations and pharmacopoeias, as well as radiation safety standards from IAEA and related bodies. In the United States, radiopharmaceutical labeling often aligns with USP standards, including those for radiochemical characterization and QA.

Challenges include ensuring label durability under radiation exposure, preventing mix-ups between isotopes, and maintaining data integrity across suppliers and transport. Ongoing developments focus on tighter integration with digital systems, standardized data models, and enhanced traceability across the radiopharmacy supply chain.