The devastating earthquakes in Japan are causing serious problems for nuclear power plants in that country.
A radioactive cloud released from explosions at one plant there are keeping a Pharmaceutical plant busy in the St. Louis area.
Fleming pharmaceuticals makes Thyroshield. It is a drug that fills your thyroid with stable iodine so that it does not absorb radioactive iodine. Since this weekends explosions in Japan, the company's phone cannot stop ringing.
Orders have poured in from around the world. West-coast state governments are also placing orders ahead of concerns a radioactive cloud could cross the Pacific ocean.
"The last seven days have been insane. Truly. And, were of course very concerned about the world situation, particularly for Japan. But in light of that and the sudden awareness of the potential hazards, we've been inundated with calls." said the President, Fleming Pharmaceuticals Phil Dritsas.
Last month, owners were calling health departments that had a nuclear power plant in their state. Many of those supplies were about to expire anyway. Then, the earthquakes in Japan hit and then, the catastrophic breakdown of the nuclear power plant.
Thyroshield is usually boxed on an automated line. The company now has to fill so many orders, workers are boxing the drug by hand. |
