4. Irradiation of drugs

The application of ionizing radiation to the sterilization of medical equipment is widely used today, and accounts for the majority of products processed in irradiation facilities. The radiosterilization of drugs, on the other hand, is relatively recent and still under development. It is an interesting alternative to other conventional methods (heat treatment, wet steam, ethylene oxide fumigation), but has specific drawbacks: some active molecules, because of their thermolability, cannot be treated by wet steam, while the use of ethylene oxide is not recommended for toxicity reasons....