<p>Pharmaceutical Quality of Selected Metronidazole and Ciprofloxacin Infusions Marketed in South Eastern Nigeria</p>

Abstract

Background: Pharmaceutical products need to be of good quality and it is even more critical when it comes to life saving medicaments like infusions. Objective: This research surveyed the quality fitness of some ciprofloxacin and metronidazole infusion samples marketed in Southeastern of Nigeria. Methods: Using Official Compendial methods, microbiological quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients quantitation, pH and particle count tests were evaluated on eighty infusion bottles (from eight pharmaceutical companies) of each of the two drugs. Results: Out of the sixteen brands tested, 2 metronidazole brands and 1 ciprofloxacin brand (representing 18.75% of the total 16 brands/makes) were contaminated while the remaining 13 brands (81.25%) were found sterile. The active pharmaceutical ingredients quantitative assay showed that all the brands of ciprofloxacin infusion were between the 95% and 105% limit of label claim while one metronidazole brand has <95-110% limit label claim. Six brands each of the two drugs evaluated fall below the acceptable pH range [ciprofloxacin (3.5-4.6) and metronidazole (4.8-5.2)], while the other two brands of both drugs passed the test. In the antibacterial study, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli were susceptible to the ciprofloxacin (5 µg). However, Salmonella typhi recorded inhibition zone diameters within resistant and intermediate range. Peptostrepococcus spp was susceptible (at minimum inhibitory concentrations of 100 µg/mL) to all the brands of metronidazole, while none of the brands were effective on Lactobacillus spp. All the brands passed the test for particulate contamination. The particles size range was <10µm. Conclusion: About eighty-one percent (81.25%) of the infusions have acceptable good microbiological quality. However, 18.75% that failed the tests is a concern knowing that these are lifesaving products.

Emergency medicine: magnesium sulphate injections and their pharmaceutical quality concerns

“…All the samples used in this study passed the microbiological tests similar to the results obtained on childhood immunization vaccines [16]but differs from another study on metronidazole and ciprofloxacin infusions marketed in south Eastern Nigeria [13], were it was reported that 18.75% of the infusions failed the microbiological tests. Similarly, all samples of the magnesium sulphate tested in the present study passed the content analysis test.…”

“…This study reveals that substandard magnesium sulphate injections are in circulation in Anambra state and potentially other states in the country. Quality medicines, safe portable water and immunization are pivotal to the attainment of quality healthcare [13,22].…”

“…A total of 3 isolates (Clostridium sporogenes, Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus brasiliensis) previously stored from clinical samples in the postgraduate laboratory of the Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology of School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Awka were used for the Growth Promotion Test [11]. Before the analyses, the isolates were revalidated and confirmed using the standard protocols as previously reported [12,13].The sterility test was carried out aseptically using the direct inoculation method [14]. The samples were incubated and monitored daily for 14 day at a temperature of 22.5 CAE2 C for Soybean-Casein Digest media and 30-35 CAE2 C for the Fluid thioglycolate media.…”

<p>In vitro Comparative Quality Assessment of Different Brands of Furosemide Tablets Marketed in Northwest Ethiopia</p>

“…Medicines sold in these markets are frequently found to have ingredients at concentrations that are too high or too low. 14 For example, a drug quality study from 10 African countries found that nearly a quarter of generic antihypertensive medicines were of low quality. 15 Similarly, a study on quality assessment of seven cardiovascular drugs in 10 sub-Saharan countries indicated that 12.5% of furosemide samples were identified as being poor quality.…”

An Evaluation of Public Opinion on Quality of Pharmaceutical Products Marketed in Anambra State, Nigeria.

“…Poor-quality medicines present a serious public health problem, particularly in emerging economies and developing countries like Nigeria [1,2]. It poses a significant impact on the national, clinical and economic burden [3].…”