Guidelines compliance, with a priori non-invasive and earlier tests and interventions, depends on access. This study investigates the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) outpatient access to nuclear medicine procedures through SUS data comparison with those from the National Commission of Nuclear Energy (CNEN: Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear).

Data provided by the SUS outpatient database (SIA-DATASUS) regarding procedures performed from 2013 to 2016 was compared with data from institutions (Nuclear Medicine Services and Cyclotron Facilities) and radioprotection supervisors with numbers certified by CNEN.

CNEN has authorized 420 nuclear medicine institutions (.20 per million inhabitants) and certified 294 radioprotection supervisors (.14 per million inhabitants), and 1.4 services per supervisor. There are 457 graduated professionals qualified for radioactive sources preparation, use and handling for diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals (.9 professionals / installation). During the last four years, 08 new nuclear medicine facilities were authorized by CNEN. The number of nuclear medicine procedures performed slightly increased in the South, but remained constant in other regions. Annual SUS reimbursements increased by 21.2 percent on average for the 03 PET/CT (Positron emission tomography–computed tomography) adopted procedures: regional analysis showed the Central-West as the highest growth area (70.8 percent), compared to the South (53.4 percent), North-East region (30.8 percent), and the South-East (5 percent). Currently, thirteen Cyclotron Facilities operate in Brazil: South-East (six), South (three), North-East (three) and Central-West (one). Some nuclear medicine procedures largely outnumber the average increase: for example, reticuloendothelial system scintigraphy (513.9 percent), gastric transit scintigraphy (112.8 percent), and thyroid screening with suppression/stimulation test (100.6 percent). However, myocardial scintigraphy (stress and rest) and bone scintigraphy with or without blood flow still correspond to 82 percent of total nuclear medicine in vivo procedures.

Regional disparity is quantitatively depicted in Brazil and reflects access to SUS nuclear medicine procedures. This denotes a potential for improvements related to nuclear medicine areas, for example developments concerning new PET/CT coverage, new radiopharmaceuticals research, and national and international training.