What is Potassium Iodide?
Potassium iodide is a white crystalline salt with chemical formula KI, used in radiation treatment. Potassium iodide may also be used to protect the thyroid from radioactive iodine in the event of an accident or terroist attack at a nuclear power plant, or other nuclear attack. Radioiodine is a particularly dangerous radionuclide because the body concentrates it in the thyroid gland. Potassium iodide cannot protect against other causes of radiation poisoning, however.

How many tablets are in each package?
There are 14 tablets in each package of IOSAT. One package is enough to protect one adult for a one month period.

What is the daily dosage required?
Current FDA guidelines call for the daily administration of one IOSAT tablet (130 mg. of potassium iodide (KI)) for up to 14 days for adults and children over 60 pounds. Smaller children should take one_half tablet for 14 days.

Recent findings and the experience at Chernobyl (where 18 million children were given KI) suggest KI is even more effective than previously realized, and that thyroid blocking can take place at smaller doses. As a result, FDA is considering reducing the amount of the dosage, and is studying dose levels as small as 16 mg. for infants and 32 mgs. for small children for shorter periods. Currently, however, package instructions should be followed in the event of a large release of radioactive iodine from a power_plant accident or a nuclear weapon.

How long is the shelf life of potassium iodide?
Potassium Iodide is inherently stable. If kept dry in an unopened container at room temperature, it can be expected to last indefinitely. No IOSAT™ (Anbex brand of potassium iodide, USP) has ever failed to meet all specifications by the US Food and Drug Administration. In a recent test, product produced over 10 years ago was assayed and found to be within 1% of its labeled value.

How long does it usually take from the time I submit my electronic order until the time I get my product?
Orders received are normally shipped Priority Mail within 24 hours and should arrive within 2-3 days.

How long does the protection last?
IOSAT works by "saturating" the thyroid with stable iodide so it will not absorb radioactive iodine that might be released in an accident. Under current dosing guidelines, a fully saturated thyroid would be protected for up to one month, which is long enough for radioactive iodine (which has a half_life of 8 days) to disappear from the environment.

How long has Iosat been around?
Shortly after the Three Mile Island accident in 1979. The company received its NDA (the FDA approval to sell the product) in 1982 after FDA review of the product and its manufacturing process.

Does KI help prevent other cancers that might occur other places in the body?
IOSAT only protects against radioactive iodine which can injure the thyroid and cause thyroid cancer, thyroid nodules, and other thyroid problems. The product is essentially ineffective against other radioactive products. However, since radioactive iodine would probably be the cause of 90% to 95% of all "off_site" injuries in a power_plant accident, the protection provided by IOSAT is extremely valuable. (At Chernobyl, for example, thyroid cancer, which is now epidemic in some areas as a result of the accident, was the only health effect seen in areas more than a few miles from the plant.)

What is the US Government position on providing KI to workers and the public in the event of another nuclear emergency?
The U S Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) does not dispute the safety or effectiveness of KI. In fact, they require nuclear power_plants to stockpile it to protect plant workers, and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) plans call for KI to protect those individuals who would be unable to be evacuated in a nuclear accident _ especially those under the care of the government (such as prisoners or patients in government hospitals).

But the NRC is resisting the calls for a national stockpile of KI, claiming it is "unnecessary." As a result, the US remains the only major nuclear power that does not have a supply to protect its citizens. Recently, to counter the widespread criticism of this policy, the government announced it had established a "national stockpile" of KI. This news was welcomed by many in the scientific community. However, at a recent meeting, the NRC admitted that its operational "national stockpile" consisted of only 2500 tablets, not even enough for 200 people.

As a reaction to criticism by US medical groups and the World Health Organization, the NRC has announced it would make KI available (free of charge) to state or local governments desiring it. Again, this news was greeted with enthusiasm. However, following this announcement, the NRC "clarified" its position, and now says it will provide KI only to those people living in communities within the 10 mile "EPZ" (Emergency Planning Zone) surrounding nuclear plants. Given that most casualties in a nuclear accident would take place more than 50 miles from the plant (following Chernobyl, thousands of cases of childhood thyroid cancer developed hundreds of miles away), the current NRC position is probably of questionable value.

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