History

Central Radiopharmaceutical Services, Inc. (CRS) was established in 1969 and was one of the first centralized radiopharmaceutical production facilities in the United States.  The origin of CRS came from an idea put forth by the “chiefs” of the nuclear medicine clinics at the seven University at Buffalo affiliated hospitals at that time.  The intention was to centralize resources and eliminate multiplicity of expenses such as preparation facilities, supplies (kits and radioactive generators), shipping fees, administrative and technical staff, thus reducing costs. Furthermore, it was determined that the savings from the venture could be used to centralize medical and health physics services to the nuclear medicine clinics involved.  The entire project would decrease costs to the hospitals, yet increase the quality of their programs via the health and medical physics support.

In 1978, CRS moved from its original operating site at Roswell Park Cancer Institute to the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) South Campus (159 Acheson Hall).  While located at UB, CRS functioned as a training site for residents, technology students, and pharmacy students in the techniques of preparing radiopharmaceuticals.  CRS also supported the University and the Western New York medical community by providing continuing medical education (CME) to area physicians, pharmacists, and technologists.

In 1993, CRS completed construction of a cyclotron facility with the Buffalo Veteran’s Administration Medical Center (Center for Positron Emission Tomography), and moved to 44 Parker Hall on UB’s South Campus.  That was the first time the entire Department of Nuclear Medicine was located at one address since the department’s inception in 1972. 

In 2001, to accommodate the growing demand for unit dose radiopharmaceuticals, CRS moved its low energy business to an off-campus location at 840 Aero Drive in Cheektowaga, New York.  We currently distribute low energy radiopharmaceuticals to over 30 hospitals and outpatient clinics in Western and Central New York.

CRS Nuclear Services, LLC continues to act in affiliation with the University at Buffalo and D’Youville College as a training site for Nuclear Medicine residents, Doctor of Pharmacy candidates and Nuclear Medicine students. Thus, promoting and growing the field of nuclear medicine with the next generation of medical professionals.