Just-in-Time Supply Chain and Logistics
Because radiopharmaceuticals contain isotopes with very short half-lives (ranging from minutes to a few days), they cannot be stockpiled. The UK operates on a "Just-in-Time" (JIT) supply chain. Once a radioisotope is produced—often in a nuclear reactor or a cyclotron—the clock begins to tick as the material naturally decays and loses its potency.
Logistics providers must use specialized, ADR-compliant vehicles and trained drivers to transport these materials from production hubs to hospital radiopharmacies. Any delay in transit can render the medicine useless by the time it reaches the patient. To mitigate this, the UK has established a dedicated domestic logistics network that coordinates with international airports for isotopes imported from European reactors, such as those in the Netherlands and Belgium.