June 13, 2016 — San Diego, Calif. — Sally W. Schwarz, MS, RPh, BCNP, professor of radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., has assumed office as 2016-17 president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). SNMMI introduced a new slate of officers during its 2016 Annual Meeting, June 11-15, in San Diego, Calif.

“As SNMMI president and a nuclear pharmacist, I want to ensure that safe and effective radiopharmaceuticals for both diagnosis and therapy are widely available,” said Schwarz. “In the year ahead, I will be working with both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on processes to help develop an expedited parallel review process.”

Schwarz’s goals for the coming year include development of a Qualified Person (QP) Training program to cross-train chemists and pharmacists for the release of manufactured radiopharmaceuticals, including PET, SPECT and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. Additionally, the modular didactic portion of this program will be available to any individual who desires training in aseptic process and regulatory requirements (e.g., USP Chapter 797 and FDA Part 212).
Schwarz will also focus on raising awareness and understanding of isotope availability, radiopharmaceutical development, and United States Pharmacopeia Convention (USP) and Federal Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory issues. She will work with SNMMI councils on continued development of databases of appropriate use criteria for existing nuclear medicine procedures, as well as investigational new drug compounds. These databases will serve as resources for evidence-based, high-quality care. Schwartz emphasizes, “Our ultimate goal, and the impetus for all we do, is to improve people’s lives by providing the highest quality of care.”

In addition to her role as professor at Washington University School of Medicine, Schwarz is co-director of the medical school’s cyclotron facility and nuclear pharmacy and serves as secretary of the Radioactive Drug Research Committee. Previously, she was the pharmacist representative on the Nuclear Regulatory Advisory Committee and spent six years on the USP Radiopharmaceutical and Medical Imaging Expert Committee and the Physical Analysis Expert Committee.

Within SNMMI, Schwarz currently serves as chair of the Committee on Radiopharmaceuticals and co-chair of the SNMMI Coalition for PET Drug Approval. She has held many positions with the Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Council, including president, and remains involved as the leadership representative. Schwarz is also a member of the FDA Taskforce and previously served on the Clinical Trials Network Manufacturing Committee. In addition, she has dedicated many years to the Missouri Valley SNMMI Chapter, serving as chapter councilor.

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