Delaware News

Delaware Receives Shelf-Life Extension for Potassium Iodide (KI) Tablets

Delaware Emergency Management Agency | Date Posted: Friday, January 31, 2014



(Smyrna) – The shelf life of Potassium Iodide (KI) tablets previously distributed in Delaware and eight other states has been extended for an additional six months from the current expiration date of February 2014.  The extension was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and communicated to Delaware officials.  The affected KI tablets are 130 mg strength, manufactured by iOSAT™.  The February 2014 expiration date is printed on the packaging.  Residents who work or reside within the ten-mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) surrounding the Salem/New Hope Nuclear Generating Stations and who possess the affected KI tablets should hold on to them until new tablets are issued,

KI is a stable product when stored according to label directions, and with proper storage, FDA officials say, expired lots can be safely used up to six months after the manufacturer’s labeled expiration date.  That would allow the KI tablets to be used as late as August 2014.  Potassium Iodide tablets should be stored in the original, unopened packaging, protected from light and kept dry.  Tables should be stored at 68-77° Fahrenheit (20-25° Celsius).

Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) officials note that new supplies of KI are expected to be delivered to the state around April of this year, and distribution will be scheduled when the new tablets are received.  Those who live or work within the ten-mile radius will be notified in advance of the distribution.  The public will also be informed through traditional and social media notices.

DEMA and the Delaware Division of Public Health periodically distribute Potassium Iodide to individuals who reside and/or work within the 10-mile EPZ.  The tablet distribution began when the State of Delaware chose to participate in a program initiated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

KI does not protect against external radiation, but can help protect the thyroid gland from ingested or inhaled radioactive iodine that might be released into the environment in a radiological emergency.  Potassium Iodide is one of the precautionary measures outlined in Delaware’s emergency plans for response to a radiation emergency.  The primary method of protecting EPZ residents and workers is evacuation, but potassium iodide may offer an additional level of protection from radioactive iodine.

In the event of a radiological emergency, state and local officials will inform the public through an Emergency Alert System (EAS) message broadcast on local radio stations.  Those messages will include instructions on how affected residents should respond, as well as directions to evacuation routes and emergency reception centers.  The instructions will also inform the public when and if KI tablets should be taken – residents and workers within the EPZ should not use the KI until instructed.

For more information about the Potassium Iodide (KI) Distribution Program in Delaware, call the Delaware Emergency Management Agency Radiological Emergency Planning Section at 302-659-3362.

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Delaware Receives Shelf-Life Extension for Potassium Iodide (KI) Tablets

Delaware Emergency Management Agency | Date Posted: Friday, January 31, 2014



(Smyrna) – The shelf life of Potassium Iodide (KI) tablets previously distributed in Delaware and eight other states has been extended for an additional six months from the current expiration date of February 2014.  The extension was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and communicated to Delaware officials.  The affected KI tablets are 130 mg strength, manufactured by iOSAT™.  The February 2014 expiration date is printed on the packaging.  Residents who work or reside within the ten-mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) surrounding the Salem/New Hope Nuclear Generating Stations and who possess the affected KI tablets should hold on to them until new tablets are issued,

KI is a stable product when stored according to label directions, and with proper storage, FDA officials say, expired lots can be safely used up to six months after the manufacturer’s labeled expiration date.  That would allow the KI tablets to be used as late as August 2014.  Potassium Iodide tablets should be stored in the original, unopened packaging, protected from light and kept dry.  Tables should be stored at 68-77° Fahrenheit (20-25° Celsius).

Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) officials note that new supplies of KI are expected to be delivered to the state around April of this year, and distribution will be scheduled when the new tablets are received.  Those who live or work within the ten-mile radius will be notified in advance of the distribution.  The public will also be informed through traditional and social media notices.

DEMA and the Delaware Division of Public Health periodically distribute Potassium Iodide to individuals who reside and/or work within the 10-mile EPZ.  The tablet distribution began when the State of Delaware chose to participate in a program initiated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

KI does not protect against external radiation, but can help protect the thyroid gland from ingested or inhaled radioactive iodine that might be released into the environment in a radiological emergency.  Potassium Iodide is one of the precautionary measures outlined in Delaware’s emergency plans for response to a radiation emergency.  The primary method of protecting EPZ residents and workers is evacuation, but potassium iodide may offer an additional level of protection from radioactive iodine.

In the event of a radiological emergency, state and local officials will inform the public through an Emergency Alert System (EAS) message broadcast on local radio stations.  Those messages will include instructions on how affected residents should respond, as well as directions to evacuation routes and emergency reception centers.  The instructions will also inform the public when and if KI tablets should be taken – residents and workers within the EPZ should not use the KI until instructed.

For more information about the Potassium Iodide (KI) Distribution Program in Delaware, call the Delaware Emergency Management Agency Radiological Emergency Planning Section at 302-659-3362.

image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.