The Food and Drug Administration has approved only two brands of pills. Iosat generally is the only brand available directly to consumers. It comes in single-pill foil packs, which prevent it from degrading as a result of exposure to air and humidity. A few pharmacies stock the pills, but it is easiest to purchase them through the distributor, NukePills.com. A year ago, the site received a few orders a week. Today, it processes about 1,000 orders a day. A package of 14 pills cost $9.95. CVS.com, Buyiosat.com, and Rad-Guard.com also carry the approved brand.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is giving states with or near nuclear plants two free pills for residents who live within 10 miles of a plant. Some states are distributing the pills, while others are keeping them in local stockpiles. This week, Pennsylvania will begin distributing free potassium iodide pills to residents near the state's five nuclear plants. New York, New Jersey and Maryland also give them away. However, the free pills fall short of the 14-day supply recommended for most people.
The pills protect only one organ, the thyroid gland, which is especially vulnerable to radioactive fallout. The pills don't protect against other risks, such as radiation sickness or types of cancer, such as leukemia, nor do they protect against radiation from a dirty bomb attack.
Moderator Comment: Should retailers/pharmacists be counseling shoppers to not buy certain products? Does the long-term benefit of this action outweigh the short-term sale loss?
The anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks has made people, consciously or otherwise, more concerned about personal safety issues. [George Anderson - Moderator]