Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Morphine Sulfate and Some Contaminants in Injections and Bulk Drug Material: Collaborative Study

Abstract

A liquid chromatographic method for the assay of morphine sulfate and some preservatives and impurities in the bulk drug and in injections has been developed and collaboratively studied in 8 laboratories. Each collaborator analyzed 5 samples: 1 bulk drug, 3 different concentrations of injectable dosages, and 1 prepared mixture containing, in addition to morphine sulfate, phenol, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, and pseudomorphine. The proposed method quantitates morphine sulfate and resolves the other components for identification using a Clg reverse-phase column with a mobile solvent containing 240 mL methanol, 720 mL 0.005M 1-heptanesulfonic acid Na salt, and 10 mL acetic acid. Samples are prepared by direct dilution with mobile solvent minus 1-heptanesulfonic acid. All collaborators met system suitability requirements and performed the analysis without difficulty. No outliers were found when data were analyzed by the Dixon, Grubbs, double Grubbs, and Cochran tests. Relative standard deviations between laboratories (RSDR) for duplicate determinations of morphine sulfate ranged from 1.4 to 2.1%. Mean morphine sulfate recoveries for the bulk drug and the prepared mixture were 100.8 and 100.4%, respectively. The method has been approved interim official first action.