Pharmetric Laboratory uses ATP Bioluminescence for rapid detection of contaminants in compounded sterile preparations. It works on the basis of measurement of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is released from cells and converted to light using the luciferin-luciferase substrate/enzyme. We use a specially-formulated and validated reagent to ensure that the light is generated in a consistent pattern, and over a significant time period, to ensure that convenient and consistent protocols can be developed. Once the sample has been exposed to the reagent, a highly sensitive and accurate luminometer is used to capture and process the fluorescent data. These sensitive results can be obtained within hours, rather than the weeks it would take using traditional culture methods of testing.