Knowing your field — and daring to own it

Some fields leave little room for mistakes. Radiopharmaceuticals is one of them. Products with half-lives measured in hours, reaching patients across the Nordics who depend on them arriving on time. At SAM Nordic, that is something we think about every day — and it is reflected in the people we have built our team around. People who know their field deeply and are not afraid to own it.

Meet Petra Vuorinen, based in Seinäjoki, Finland. When she is not working, you will most likely find her in the sky — literally. Skydiving is her great passion, and she describes it simply: the adrenaline, the absolute freedom, and the total focus it demands. There is no room for mistakes at 4,000 meters, and no space for distraction. It is, perhaps, not so different from her job.

Petra is a pharmacist by training, and before she joined SAM Nordic her career has taken her from hospital pharmacy to QA Pharmacist at a company that manufactured radiopharmaceuticals. That combination of backgrounds gives her a perspective that is genuinely valuable in this field.

A role that covers everything

As Country Manager Finland, Petra's responsibilities stretch far beyond sales. On any given day she might be working on forecasting, handling regulatory compliance, preparing for a tender, or meeting with customers. On top of that, she holds the role of GDP Responsible Person in Finland — serving as the primary contact with Fimea (The Finnish Medicines Agency) and making sure SAM Nordic's Finnish operations meet all national requirements.

It is a broad role, but one that suits someone who thrives on variety — and who knows the industry from the inside out.

Understanding the customer — really

In Finland, winning a tender matters. But Petra is clear that it is rarely the whole story. Long before a tender is published, the groundwork must already be laid.

"My approach has never been just to present a product," Petra says. "I first try to understand the customer's workflow, their challenges, and what they are trying to achieve. Once I understand that, it is much easier to discuss how our products or services can support their clinical practice."

Petra has worked across hospital pharmacy, radiopharmaceutical manufacturing and now commercial distribution — and that breadth shows, particularly in discussions about customer facilities, processes or implementation strategies.

"The decisions to implement certain diagnostics or treatments are rarely made by one person. It is a combination of clinicians, physicists, procurement, management, and budget holders. You need to understand all of them."

When there is no time to hesitate

Radiopharmaceuticals present a challenge that most industries never have to think about: some products have a half-life of just a few hours. Quality-related decisions cannot wait.

"There is not too much time to doubt and double-check everything. Instead, you need to have the quality system you can trust and the experience to know if the product is safe to use or not."

As part of SAM Nordic's QA team, Petra works alongside two colleagues whose expertise complements her own — one specializing in transport, storage and temperature surveillance, and one focused on regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance and medical information. Together, they cover the full picture.

The Homer Simpson myth

Ask Petra about the biggest misconception surrounding her field, and she laughs.

"That we must wear protective overalls all the time — like Homer Simpson handling uranium. But we really don't." She adds the more important point: "The doses used as medication are always carefully considered by the physician. No patient is exposed to radiation just in case."

It is the kind of clarity that comes from someone who has worked with these products up close — and who understands both science and what it means for the patient.

Ask Petra why a pharmaceutical company should trust SAM Nordic with their radiopharmaceuticals in the Nordics, and she does not hesitate.

"Because we know what we are doing — and we do it with pride, dedication and reliability."

Sometimes that is all you need to know.

Later this summer, you will get to read more about the QA team at SAM Nordic. Stay updated by following us on LinkedIn.