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Kingsley BJ, Schaffer JD, Chiarot PR. Electrospray deposition of physical unclonable functions for drug anti-counterfeiting. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13256. [PMID: 38858516 PMCID: PMC11164866 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63834-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, pharmaceutical counterfeiting has become an increasingly dangerous situation. A patient who unknowingly consumes a counterfeit drug is at a serious health risk. To address this problem, a low-cost and robust approach for authentication that can be administered at the point-of-care is required. Our proposed solution uses Optical Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs); patterns formed by a stochastic process that can be used for authentication. We create edible PUFs (ePUFs) using electrospray deposition, which utilizes strong electric fields to atomize a liquid suspension into a plume of micro-scale droplets that are delivered to the target. The ePUFs are electrospray-deposited from an edible ink directly onto the surface of the drug tablets. The process parameters (flow rate, translation speed, and suspension concentration) govern the characteristics of the ePUF to provide highly stochastic patterns. To evaluate our approach, 200 ePUFs were deposited onto tablets at various conditions, followed by imaging and storage of the patterns in a database. For ePUF authentication, a machine vision approach was created using the open source SIFT pattern matching algorithm. Using optimized pattern-matching constraints, our algorithm was shown to be 100% successful in authenticating the cellphone images of the ePUFs to the database. Additionally, the algorithm was found to be robust against changes in illumination and orientation of the cellphone images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce J Kingsley
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - J David Schaffer
- Institute for Justice and Well-Being, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Paul R Chiarot
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA.
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Sharma AK, Rastogi S, Ali F, Yadav AP, Goyal RK. A comprehensive quality control and cost comparison study of branded and generic angiotensin receptor blockers. Saudi Pharm J 2024; 32:101985. [PMID: 38380162 PMCID: PMC10877430 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2024.101985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
This study was designed to assess both the quality and cost aspects of various branded and generic formulations of angiotensin receptor blockers, specifically Irbesartan, Losartan Potassium, Olmesartan Medoxomil, Telmisartan, and Valsartan. The collected samples underwent distinct quality evaluations using the methods outlined in different global Pharmacopoeias (British Pharmacopoeia/European Pharmacopoeia, Indian Pharmacopoeia and United States Pharmacopoeia). These drugs were characterized using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance techniques, while their quality and concentration were analysed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. The release profile of the drugs was examined through dissolution testing. Additionally, a cost comparison analysis was carried out by determining the prevailing market prices of the drugs. The evaluated branded and generic angiotensin receptor blockers were found to meet the established standards for impurities, active drug content, and dissolution as set by these Pharmacopoeias, indicating their optimal quality. Notably, the generic drugs exhibited significantly lower costs compared to their branded counterparts. This study confirms that the quality of generic angiotensin receptor blockers is equivalent to that of their branded counterparts. Consequently, these findings support the practicality of utilizing generic drugs as a more economically sustainable and cost-effective approach to managing diseases, especially those of chronic nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Kumar Sharma
- Delhi Pharmaceutical Science and Research University (DPSRU), Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Sector-3, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi, 110017, India
- Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Sector-23 Raj Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Shruti Rastogi
- Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Sector-23 Raj Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Faraat Ali
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, 500 05, Czech Republic
| | - Anuj Prakash Yadav
- Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Sector-23 Raj Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Ramesh K. Goyal
- Delhi Pharmaceutical Science and Research University (DPSRU), Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Sector-3, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi, 110017, India
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Amir-Azodi A, Setayesh M, Bazyar M, Ansari M, Yazdi-Feyzabadi V. Causes and consequences of quack medicine in health care: a scoping review of global experience. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:64. [PMID: 38212750 PMCID: PMC10785397 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10520-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The field of health has been facing challenges with fraudulent practices and the prevalence of "quack medicine". Many cases have given rise to this issue. Therefore, this study aims to comprehensively investigate and categorize the causes and consequences of quack medicine in the healthcare. METHODS A scoping review, using the 5 stages of Arksey and O'Malley's framework, was conducted to retrieve and analyze the literature. International databases including the PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science and also national Iranian databases were searched to find peer reviewed published literature in English and Persian languages. Grey literature was also included. Meta-Synthesis was applied to analyze the findings through an inductive approach. RESULTS Out of 3794 initially identified studies, 30 were selected for this study. Based on the findings of this research, the causes of quackery in the health were divided into six categories: political, economic, socio-cultural, technical-organizational, legal and psychological. Additionally, the consequences of this issue were classified into three categories: health, economic and social. Economic and social factors were found to have a more significant impact on the prevalence of quackery in the health sector. Legal and technical-organizational factors played a crucial role in facilitating fraudulent practices, resulting in severe health consequences. CONCLUSION It is evident that governing bodies and health systems must prioritize addressing economic and social factors in combating quackery in the health sector. Special attention should be paid to the issue of cultural development and community education to strengthen the mechanisms that lead to the society access to standard affordable services. Efforts should be made also to improve the efficiency of legislation, implementation and evaluation systems to effectively tackle this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Amir-Azodi
- Health Services Management Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Setayesh
- Department of Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Persian Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Bazyar
- Health Management and Economics Department, Faculty of Health, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Mina Ansari
- Faculty of Management and Medical Information, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Vahid Yazdi-Feyzabadi
- Health Services Management Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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Cavany S, Nanyonga S, Hauk C, Lim C, Tarning J, Sartorius B, Dolecek C, Caillet C, Newton PN, Cooper BS. The uncertain role of substandard and falsified medicines in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6153. [PMID: 37788991 PMCID: PMC10547756 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41542-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Approximately 10% of antimicrobials used by humans in low- and middle-income countries are estimated to be substandard or falsified. In addition to their negative impact on morbidity and mortality, they may also be important drivers of antimicrobial resistance. Despite such concerns, our understanding of this relationship remains rudimentary. Substandard and falsified medicines have the potential to either increase or decrease levels of resistance, and here we discuss a range of mechanisms that could drive these changes. Understanding these effects and their relative importance will require an improved understanding of how different drug exposures affect the emergence and spread of resistance and of how the percentage of active pharmaceutical ingredients in substandard and falsified medicines is temporally and spatially distributed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Cavany
- NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Stella Nanyonga
- NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Medicine Quality Research Group, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Cathrin Hauk
- NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Medicine Quality Research Group, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Cherry Lim
- NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Joel Tarning
- NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Benn Sartorius
- NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Christiane Dolecek
- NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Céline Caillet
- NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Medicine Quality Research Group, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Paul N Newton
- NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Medicine Quality Research Group, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ben S Cooper
- NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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Lomba L, Polo A, Werner Á, Lafuente C, Giner B. Deep eutectic solvents based on sugars for oral applications. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2023; 191:103-113. [PMID: 37582410 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2023.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Solubility is a critical parameter in drug formulation to achieve the desired therapeutical concentration. Most drugs are weak acids or bases and, therefore, exhibit low solubility and poor oral availability. The main aim of this work is the use of Deep Eutectic Systems (DESs) for improving the solubility of drugs in aqueous medium. In this case, we use DESs formed by choline chloride and sugars (xylitol, fructose, glucose and sorbitol) at different proportions of water. These compounds present low toxicity, and thus can be used in syrups or liquid formulations. Different physicochemical properties, such as density, refractive index, and surface tension, were obtained. In addition, a rheological study of the different systems was carried out. Finally, these DESs were applied to analyse the solubility of the following active principles: caffeine (Class I) and furosemide (Class IV) of the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS). The selection of the drugs attends to different reasons. On one hand, we want to develop a new liquid formulation for model drug furosemide and, on the other hand, the study of caffeine, instead, will be used as a model for comparing purposes. Solubility results show that the systems that best solubilize caffeine are those with the highest water content; however, they do not reach the levels of solubility of pure water. On the other hand, for furosemide, a great increase in solubility was observed, especially for systems formed by xylitol and, fundamentally, in the system with the lowest water content. Obtaining an increase in solubility of up to 4530 times. These systems provide an opportunity to improve the formulation of drugs in the liquid medium of active ingredients that are poorly soluble in an aqueous medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Lomba
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Jorge, Campus Universitario, Autov. A23 km 299, 50830, Villanueva de Gállego, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Alejandra Polo
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Jorge, Campus Universitario, Autov. A23 km 299, 50830, Villanueva de Gállego, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Álvaro Werner
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Jorge, Campus Universitario, Autov. A23 km 299, 50830, Villanueva de Gállego, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Carlos Lafuente
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Zaragoza, Spain; Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Beatriz Giner
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Jorge, Campus Universitario, Autov. A23 km 299, 50830, Villanueva de Gállego, Zaragoza, Spain.
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Waffo Tchounga CA, Sacré PY, Ravinetto R, Lieberman M, Hamuli Ciza P, Ngono Mballa R, Ziemons E, Hubert P, Djang’eing’a Marini R. Usefulness of medicine screening tools in the frame of pharmaceutical post-marketing surveillance. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289865. [PMID: 37566594 PMCID: PMC10420354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The negative consequences of Substandard and falsified (SF) medicines are widely documented nowadays and there is still an urgent need to find them in more efficient ways. Several screening tools have been developed for this purpose recently. In this study, three screening tools were used on 292 samples of ciprofloxacin and metronidazole collected in Cameroon. Each sample was then analyzed by HPLC and disintegration tests. Seven additional samples from the nitro-imidazole (secnidazole, ornidazole, tinidazole) and the fluoroquinolone (levofloxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, moxifloxacin) families were analyzed to mimic falsified medicines. Placebo samples that contained only inert excipients were also tested to mimic falsified samples without active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The three screening tools implemented were: a simplified visual inspection checklist, a low-cost handheld near infrared (NIR) spectrophotometer and paper analytical devices (PADs). Overall, 61.1% of the samples that failed disintegration and assay tests also failed the visual inspection checklist test. For the handheld NIR, one-class classifier models were built to detect the presence of ciprofloxacin and metronidazole, respectively. The APIs were correctly identified in all the samples with sensitivities and specificities of 100%. However, the importance of a representative and up-to-date spectral database was underlined by comparing models built with different calibration set spanning different variability spaces. The PADs were used only on ciprofloxacin samples and detected the API in all samples in which the presence of ciprofloxacin was confirmed by HPLC. However, these PADs were not specific to ciprofloxacin since they reacted like ciprofloxacin to other fluoroquinolone compounds. The advantages and drawbacks of each screening tool were highlighted. They are promising means in the frame of early detection of SF medicines and they can increase the speed of decision about SF medicines in the context of pharmaceutical post-marketing surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christelle Ange Waffo Tchounga
- Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, Liège, Belgium
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Pierre-Yves Sacré
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, Research Support Unit in Chemometrics, Liège, Belgium
| | - Raffaella Ravinetto
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marya Lieberman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
| | - Patient Hamuli Ciza
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Lemba, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Rose Ngono Mballa
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Laboratoire National de Contrôle des Médicaments et Expertise (LANACOME), Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Eric Ziemons
- Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, Liège, Belgium
| | - Philippe Hubert
- Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, Liège, Belgium
| | - Roland Djang’eing’a Marini
- Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, Liège, Belgium
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Lomba L, Werner Á, Giner B, Lafuente C. Deep Eutectic Solvents Formed by Glycerol and Xylitol, Fructose and Sorbitol: Effect of the Different Sugars in Their Physicochemical Properties. Molecules 2023; 28:6023. [PMID: 37630275 PMCID: PMC10458529 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28166023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The search for new eutectic solvents for different applications (extraction, drug formulation, chemical reactions, etc.) is booming thanks to their high solubility capacity and low toxicity. However, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive physicochemical characterization of these mixtures to understand the molecular behavior at different experimental conditions. In this study, three deep eutectic solvents (DESs) formed by glycerol and xylitol, fructose and sorbitol and water in the molar ratio 1:2:3 were prepared and several physicochemical properties (refractive index, density, surface tension, viscosity, speed of sound, isobaric heat capacity and isentropic compressibility) were measured and analyzed in the 278.15-338.15 K temperature range. The results indicate a linear dependence with temperature for the following properties: surface tension, refractive index, density and isobaric molar heat capacity while viscosity values have been fitted to the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann equation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Lomba
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Campus Universitario, Universidad San Jorge, Autov. A23 km 299, Villanueva de Gállego, 50830 Zaragoza, Spain; (L.L.); (Á.W.)
| | - Álvaro Werner
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Campus Universitario, Universidad San Jorge, Autov. A23 km 299, Villanueva de Gállego, 50830 Zaragoza, Spain; (L.L.); (Á.W.)
| | - Beatriz Giner
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Campus Universitario, Universidad San Jorge, Autov. A23 km 299, Villanueva de Gállego, 50830 Zaragoza, Spain; (L.L.); (Á.W.)
| | - Carlos Lafuente
- Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain;
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Performance analysis of a private blockchain network built on Hyperledger Fabric for healthcare. Inf Process Manag 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ipm.2022.103160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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9
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Comparing the return on investment of technologies to detect substandard and falsified amoxicillin: A Kenya case study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0268661. [PMID: 36652447 PMCID: PMC9847901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of substandard and falsified medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is a major global public health concern. Multiple screening technologies for post-market surveillance of medicine quality have been developed but there exists no clear guidance on which technology is optimal for LMICs. This study examined the return on investment (ROI) of implementing a select number of screening technologies for post-market surveillance of amoxicillin quality in a case study of Kenya. An agent-based model, Examining Screening Technologies using Economic Evaluations for Medicines (ESTEEM), was developed to estimate the costs, benefits, and ROI of implementing screening technologies for post-market surveillance of substandard and falsified amoxicillin for treatment of pediatric pneumonia in Kenya. The model simulated sampling, testing, and removal of substandard and falsified amoxicillin from the Kenyan market using five screening technologies: (1) Global Pharma Health Fund's GPHF-Minilab, (2) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), (3) near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), (4) paper analytical devices / antibiotic paper analytical devices (PADs/aPADs), and (5) Raman spectroscopy. The study team analyzed the population impact of utilizing amoxicillin for the treatment of pneumonia in children under age five in Kenya. We found that the GPHF-Minilab, NIR, and PADs/aPADs were similar in their abilities to rapidly screen for and remove substandard and falsified amoxicillin from the Kenyan market resulting in a higher ROI compared to HPLC. NIR and PADs/aPADs yielded the highest ROI at $21 (90% Uncertainty Range (UR) $5-$51) each, followed by GPHF-Minilab ($16, 90%UR $4 - $38), Raman ($9, 90%UR $2 - $21), and HPLC ($3, 90%UR $0 - $7). This study highlights screening technologies that can be used to reduce costs, speed up the removal of poor-quality medicines, and consequently improve health and economic outcomes in LMICs. National medicine regulatory authorities should adopt these fast, reliable, and low-cost screening technologies to better detect substandard and falsified medicines, reserving HPLC for confirmatory tests.
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Grynko L, Chornyi H, Kostenko M. SALE OF FALSIFIED MEDICINES VIA THE INTERNET IN UKRAINE: PROBLEMS OF DETECTION AND COUNTERACTION. WIADOMOSCI LEKARSKIE (WARSAW, POLAND : 1960) 2023; 76:1106-1112. [PMID: 37326096 DOI: 10.36740/wlek202305132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim: The purpose of the article is to identify and analyze problematic theoretical and practical aspects related to the sale of counterfeit medicines via the Internet and measures to counteract the spread of their counterfeit products, as well as to search for evidence-based ways to improve the regulatory and legal mechanism that regulates the activities of the pharmaceutical business in Ukraine. PATIENTS AND METHODS Materials and methods: The research based by the analysis of international acts, conventions and national legislation of Ukraine in the sphere of trade medi¬cines via the Internet, scientific achievements in this area. Methodologically, this work is based on the system of methods, scientific approaches, techniques and principles with the help of which the realization of the research aim is carried out. There have been applied universal, general scientific and special legal methods. CONCLUSION Conclusions: Analyzed the legal regulation of online sales of medicines. Made the conclusion about necessity implementation of projects to create forensic records which have shown their effectiveness in the fight against counterfeit medicines in European countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larysa Grynko
- POLTAVA LAW INSTITUTE YAROSLAV MUDRYI NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, POLTAVA, UKRAINE
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11
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Jenkins D, Diallo C, Payne M. Detecting falsified oral contraceptives by visual assessment and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (350–2500 nm): the need for supplementing traditional pharmacopeia techniques and the public health implications. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10837. [PMID: 36217469 PMCID: PMC9547234 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Substandard and falsified pharmaceuticals can present a major health risk, particularly for low- and middle-income countries. In a Sub-Saharan African market, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) staff found an oral contraceptive product (0.15 mg levonorgestrel/0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol) labeled with a logo (and brand name) visually matching one historically used by USAID but purportedly manufactured by an unauthorized source. Additional assessment was conducted to determine if more evidence of falsification was present to better understand the public health impact. Study design Relative to a control, the suspect sample was assessed visually for tablet features and with United States and International Pharmacopeia methods for levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol tablets. Diffuse reflectance spectra (350–2500 nm) were collected to further characterize the sample. Results Although the suspect sample aligned with pharmacopeia tests, visual examination of tablet characteristics and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (350–2500 nm) assessments supported the tablets were not the same as control samples, confirming the suspect sample was falsified. These results raised concerns for the overall regulatory oversight available for the market with uncertainty regarding the true clinical bioequivalence levels (although adequate dissolution levels were observed). Conclusions Comprehensive characterization of suspect pharmaceuticals from the field can often be required depending on the nature of the sample and can have dramatic implications for understanding the public health risks to the end user within the local market. Simple visual assessment and spectroscopic techniques to screen a sample can help to supplement traditional pharmacopeia approaches. Implications Proper characterization of suspect pharmaceuticals is necessary to best understand their potential public health impact. Situations can occur where traditional pharmacopeial techniques may not adequately characterize a sample. Visual assessments and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy can be supplemented to provide a more holistic analysis.
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Awotunde O, Roseboom N, Cai J, Hayes K, Rajane R, Chen R, Yusuf A, Lieberman M. Discrimination of Substandard and Falsified Formulations from Genuine Pharmaceuticals Using NIR Spectra and Machine Learning. Anal Chem 2022; 94:12586-12594. [PMID: 36067409 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c00998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a promising technique for field identification of substandard and falsified drugs because it is portable, rapid, nondestructive, and can differentiate many formulated pharmaceutical products. Portable NIR spectrometers rely heavily on chemometric analyses based on libraries of NIR spectra from authentic pharmaceutical samples. However, it is difficult to build comprehensive product libraries in many low- and middle-income countries due to the large numbers of manufacturers who supply these markets, frequent unreported changes in materials sourcing and product formulation by the manufacturers, and general lack of cooperation in providing authentic samples. In this work, we show that a simple library of lab-formulated binary mixtures of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) with two diluents gave good performance on field screening tasks, such as discriminating substandard and falsified formulations of the API. Six data analysis models, including principal component analysis and support-vector machine classification and regression methods and convolutional neural networks, were trained on binary mixtures of acetaminophen with either lactose or ascorbic acid. While the models all performed strongly in cross-validation (on formulations similar to their training set), they individually showed poor robustness for formulations outside the training set. However, a predictive algorithm based on the six models, trained only on binary samples, accurately predicts whether the correct amount of acetaminophen is present in ternary mixtures, genuine acetaminophen formulations, adulterated acetaminophen formulations, and falsified formulations containing substitute APIs. This data analytics approach may extend the utility of NIR spectrometers for analysis of pharmaceuticals in low-resource settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olatunde Awotunde
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Nicholas Roseboom
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Jin Cai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Kathleen Hayes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Revati Rajane
- Precise Software Solutions Inc, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Ruoyan Chen
- Precise Software Solutions Inc, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Abdullah Yusuf
- Precise Software Solutions Inc, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Marya Lieberman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
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13
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Hauk C, Boss M, Gabel J, Schäfermann S, Lensch HPA, Heide L. An open-source smartphone app for the quantitative evaluation of thin-layer chromatographic analyses in medicine quality screening. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13433. [PMID: 35927306 PMCID: PMC9352711 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17527-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Substandard and falsified medicines present a serious threat to public health. Simple, low-cost screening tools are important in the identification of such products in low- and middle-income countries. In the present study, a smartphone-based imaging software was developed for the quantification of thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) analyses. A performance evaluation of this tool in the TLC analysis of 14 active pharmaceutical ingredients according to the procedures of the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF) Minilab was carried out, following international guidelines and assessing accuracy, repeatability, intermediate precision, specificity, linearity, range and robustness of the method. Relative standard deviations of 2.79% and 4.46% between individual measurements were observed in the assessments of repeatability and intermediate precision, respectively. Small deliberate variations of the conditions hardly affected the results. A locally producible wooden box was designed which ensures TLC photography under standardized conditions and shielding from ambient light. Photography and image analysis were carried out with a low-cost Android-based smartphone. The app allows to share TLC photos and quantification results using messaging apps, e-mail, cable or Bluetooth connections, or to upload them to a cloud. The app is available free of charge as General Public License (GPL) open-source software, and interested individuals or organizations are welcome to use and/or to further improve this software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathrin Hauk
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mark Boss
- Computer Graphics, Department of Computer Science, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julia Gabel
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simon Schäfermann
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hendrik P A Lensch
- Computer Graphics, Department of Computer Science, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Lutz Heide
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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14
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Daria S, Ankhi AA, Sultana S, Rahman MA, Islam MR. Pharmaceutical quality evaluation of marketed vildagliptin tablets in Bangladesh based on the United States Pharmacopeia specifications. NARRA J 2022; 2:e84. [PMID: 38449703 PMCID: PMC10914035 DOI: 10.52225/narra.v2i2.84] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Continuous monitoring of pharmaceutical products is vital because it matters to human health. Here we aimed to assess the quality parameters of commercially available vildagliptin tablets in Bangladesh. We tested the tablets for the content uniformity, hardness, friability, disintegration, dissolution, and potency. Then, we fitted the dissolution data with kinetic models to investigate the release pattern of the studied brands. Moreover, we applied a mathematical model-independent approach to compare the dissolution profiles of the brands. The interchangeability was determined using difference and similarity factors. Weight variation, friability, and hardness were between 150.35±1.26 to 230.8±1.98 mg, 0 to 0.88%, and 47.3±5.09 to 108.1±1.92 N, respectively. All tablets disintegrated within 0.54±2.85 to 7.69±2.14 min in distilled water. The potency of tablets in 0.1 N HCl and PBS (pH 6.8) were between 97.67±2.58 to 105±0.95% and 99±4.63 to 105±1.65%, respectively. The drug release (%) in 0.1 N HCl and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (pH 6.8) after 60 min were between 99.37±1.80 to 111.09±0.64% and 96.59±3.52 to 109.57±0.53%, respectively. All the brands complied with the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) specification for physicochemical properties. Also, we observed the drug release patterns of vildagliptin tablets matched with different kinetic models. We found only one substitutable brand with the standard product regardless of the dissolution medium. In-vitro chemical equivalence is not always consistent with bioequivalence. Therefore, continuous evaluation of marketed products is essential to ensure the desired quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohel Daria
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, Farmgate, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Arjina A Ankhi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, Farmgate, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sharmin Sultana
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, Farmgate, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Ashrafur Rahman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Amarillo, TX, United States
| | - Md Rabiul Islam
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, Farmgate, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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15
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Yabré M, Sakira AK, Bandé M, Goumbri BWF, Ouattara SM, Fofana S, Somé TI. Detection of Falsified Antimalarial Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine Drugs Using a Low-Cost Handheld Near-Infrared Spectrometer. JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL METHODS IN CHEMISTRY 2022; 2022:5335936. [PMID: 35558651 PMCID: PMC9090531 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5335936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Falsified drugs are of serious concern to public health worldwide, particularly for developing countries where quality control of drugs is inefficient. In law enforcement against such fake medicines, there is a need to develop reliable, fast, and inexpensive screening methods. In this work, the ability of an innovative low-cost handheld near-infrared spectrometer to identify falsifications among two antimalarial fixed dose combination tablets, dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine and sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine, has been investigated. Analyzed samples were collected in Burkina Faso mainly in rural transborder areas that could be infiltrated by illicit drugs. A principal component analysis was applied on the acquired near-infrared spectra to identify trends, similarities, and differences between collected samples. This allowed to detect some samples of dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine and sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine which seemed to be falsified. These suspicious samples were semiquantitatively analyzed by thin-layer chromatography using Minalab® kits. Obtained results allowed to confirm the falsifications since the suspected samples did not contain any of the expected active pharmaceutical ingredients. The capacity of the low-cost near-infrared device to identify specifically a brand name of dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine or sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine has been also studied using soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA) in the classical and data driven versions. The built models allowed a clear brand identification with 100% of both sensitivity and specificity in the studied cases. All these results demonstrate the potential of these low-cost near-infrared spectrometers to be used as first line screening tools, particularly in resource limited laboratories, for the detection of falsified antimalarial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moussa Yabré
- Higher Institute of Health Sciences (INSSA), Nazi BONI University, Bobo-Dioulasso, 01 P.O. Box 1091, Burkina Faso
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie Environnement et Santé (LATES), Joseph KI-ZERBO University, Ouagadougou, 03 P.O. Box 7021, Burkina Faso
| | - Abdoul Karim Sakira
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie Environnement et Santé (LATES), Joseph KI-ZERBO University, Ouagadougou, 03 P.O. Box 7021, Burkina Faso
| | - Moumouni Bandé
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie Environnement et Santé (LATES), Joseph KI-ZERBO University, Ouagadougou, 03 P.O. Box 7021, Burkina Faso
| | - Bertrand W. F. Goumbri
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie Environnement et Santé (LATES), Joseph KI-ZERBO University, Ouagadougou, 03 P.O. Box 7021, Burkina Faso
| | - Sandrine M. Ouattara
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie Environnement et Santé (LATES), Joseph KI-ZERBO University, Ouagadougou, 03 P.O. Box 7021, Burkina Faso
| | - Souleymane Fofana
- Higher Institute of Health Sciences (INSSA), Nazi BONI University, Bobo-Dioulasso, 01 P.O. Box 1091, Burkina Faso
| | - Touridomon Issa Somé
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie Environnement et Santé (LATES), Joseph KI-ZERBO University, Ouagadougou, 03 P.O. Box 7021, Burkina Faso
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16
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Hoellein L, Kaale E, Mwalwisi YH, Schulze MH, Vetye-Maler C, Holzgrabe U. Emerging Antimicrobial Drug Resistance in Africa and Latin America: Search for Reasons. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2022; 15:827-843. [PMID: 35519501 PMCID: PMC9064051 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s205077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Medicine quality and methods for its assessment play a major role in the effectiveness of therapies and the treatment of many infectious diseases. However, poor-quality and/or falsified products are circulating in huge amounts in many low- and middle-income countries and are one of the major reasons why more and more resistant bacteria emerge. The development of resistance is additionally triggered by a plethora of antibiotic medicines which is easily available through pharmacies and unofficial sources. The uncontrolled overuse of these products is a huge problem not only in single countries but worldwide. In this review, we aim to demonstrate the factors which are involved in an emerging resistance development and how strong regulatory authorities, routine quality control by means of proficiency testing, and post-marketing surveillance as well as training personnel and patients can be combined to curb the problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludwig Hoellein
- Institute for Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eliangiringa Kaale
- Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | - Marco H Schulze
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Institut für Krankenhaushygiene und Infektiologie, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- Institute for Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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17
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Shergill RS, Farlow A, Perez F, Patel BA. 3D-printed electrochemical pestle and mortar for identification of falsified pharmaceutical tablets. Mikrochim Acta 2022; 189:100. [DOI: 10.1007/s00604-022-05202-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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18
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Rahman MS, Yoshida N, Tsuboi H, Karmoker JR, Kabir N, Schaefermann S, Akimoto Y, Bhuiyan MA, Reza MS, Kimura K. A comprehensive analysis of selected medicines collected from private drug outlets of Dhaka city, Bangladesh in a simple random survey. Sci Rep 2022; 12:234. [PMID: 34997152 PMCID: PMC8741935 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04309-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Comprehensive data are needed to prevent substandard and falsified (SF) medicines as they pose a major risk to human health. To assess the quality of selected medicines, samples were collected from random private drug outlets of Dhaka North and South City Corporation, Bangladesh. Sample analysis included visual observation of the packaging, authenticity of the samples, legitimacy and registration verification of the manufacturer, physicochemical analysis, and price. Chemical analysis of the samples was performed using a portable Raman spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography according to the pharmacopoeia. Several discrepancies were noted in the visual observation of samples. Among the 189 collected samples of esomeprazole (ESM), cefixime (CFIX), and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (CVA-AMPC), 21.2% were confirmed to be authentic, 91.3% manufacturers were confirmed legitimate, and 2.1% of all samples were unregistered. Chemical analysis of the samples revealed that 9.5% (95% CI 5.7-14.6) of samples were SFs. Falsified samples and quality variation in the same generic branded samples were both detected by Raman spectroscopic analysis. Overall, sample prices were satisfactory relative to the international reference price. This study documents the availability of poor-quality medicines, demonstrating the need for immediate attention by the national medicine regulatory authority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Sofiqur Rahman
- Medi-Quality Security Institute (MQS), Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan.
| | - Naoko Yoshida
- AI Hospital/Macro Signal Dynamics Research and Development Center, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
| | - Hirohito Tsuboi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Healthcare Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - James Regun Karmoker
- University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.,Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, 74/A Green Road, Farmgate, Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Nadia Kabir
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, 74/A Green Road, Farmgate, Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Simon Schaefermann
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Yoshio Akimoto
- Medi-Quality Security Institute (MQS), Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Mohiuddin Ahmed Bhuiyan
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, 74/A Green Road, Farmgate, Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Selim Reza
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Kazuko Kimura
- Medi-Quality Security Institute (MQS), Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
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19
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Acevedo AJ, Desai D, Zaman MH, Apiou-Sbirlea G. PharmaChk: a decade of research and development towards the first quantitative, field-based medicine quality screening instrument. Analyst 2022; 147:3805-3816. [DOI: 10.1039/d2an00284a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We describe the scientific, engineering work over the first ten years of PharmaChk, the first quantitative, portable instrument for medicine quality screening, to illustrate what it takes for academic labs to translate observations into interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Acevedo
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, 02115, Boston, MA, USA
- Mass General Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Darash Desai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Muhammad H. Zaman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gabriela Apiou-Sbirlea
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, 02115, Boston, MA, USA
- Mass General Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston, MA, USA
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston, MA, USA
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20
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Critical Success Factors and Traceability Technologies for Establishing a Safe Pharmaceutical Supply Chain. Methods Protoc 2021; 4:mps4040085. [PMID: 34842786 PMCID: PMC8628909 DOI: 10.3390/mps4040085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug counterfeits have been an international issue for almost two decades, and the latest statistics show that fake medications will continue to penetrate legitimate pharmaceutical supply chains (PSCs). Therefore, identifying the issues faced by PSCs is essential to combat the counterfeit drug problem, which will require the implementation of technologies in various phases of the PSC to gain better visibility. In this regard, a literature review was conducted to fulfill the following objectives: (i) review the application of traceability technologies in various PSC phases to detect counterfeits; (ii) analyze the various barriers affecting the establishment of a safe PSC and the critical success factors used to overcome those barriers; and (iii) develop a conceptual framework and guidelines to demonstrate the influence of traceability technologies and success factors on overcoming the various barriers in different phases of the PSC. The major finding of this review was that traceability technologies and the critical success factors have a significant influence on overcoming the barriers to establishing a safe PSC.
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21
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Shergill RS, Kristova P, Patel BA. Detection of falsified clopidogrel in the presence of excipients using voltammetry. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2021; 13:5335-5342. [PMID: 34730129 DOI: 10.1039/d1ay01602d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
There has been a recent surge in the amount of substandard and falsified clopidogrel. Pharmacopeial based assays using high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy are widely used for the measurement of clopidogrel but are not accessible in low to middle income countries. Therefore, our study explored four different techniques (mid-infrared spectroscopy, thin layer chromatography, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, and differential pulse voltammetry), which could be used in low to middle income countries. Differential pulse voltammetry showed the best performance for accurate and precise determination of clopidogrel in the presence of excipients. Clopidogrel tablets were fully crushed and sonicated in buffer for 30 seconds prior to differential pulse voltammetry measurements using a 3 mm glassy carbon electrode. Measurements were made without removing the excipients and the limit of detection was 0.08 mg ml-1 and the sensitivity was 15.7 μA mg ml-1. When conducting a blinded study, differential pulse voltammetry was able to identify varying types of substandard and falsified samples. Our findings highlight that voltammetry could be a vital analytical technique for the determination of substandard and falsified medicines in low- and middle-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Petra Kristova
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, East Sussex, UK.
| | - Bhavik Anil Patel
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, East Sussex, UK.
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22
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Caillet C, Vickers S, Zambrzycki S, Luangasanatip N, Vidhamaly V, Boutsamay K, Boupha P, Lubell Y, Fernández FM, Newton PN. Multiphase evaluation of portable medicines quality screening devices. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009287. [PMID: 34591864 PMCID: PMC8483331 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Céline Caillet
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)/World Wide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- * E-mail:
| | - Serena Vickers
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)/World Wide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Zambrzycki
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Nantasit Luangasanatip
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Vayouly Vidhamaly
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)/World Wide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kem Boutsamay
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)/World Wide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Phonepasith Boupha
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)/World Wide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Yoel Lubell
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Facundo M. Fernández
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Paul N. Newton
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)/World Wide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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23
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Caillet C, Vickers S, Zambrzycki S, Fernández FM, Vidhamaly V, Boutsamay K, Boupha P, Peerawaranun P, Mukaka M, Newton PN. A comparative field evaluation of six medicine quality screening devices in Laos. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009674. [PMID: 34591852 PMCID: PMC8483322 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medicine quality screening devices hold great promise for post-market surveillance (PMS). However, there is little independent evidence on their field utility and usability to inform policy decisions. This pilot study in the Lao PDR tested six devices' utility and usability in detecting substandard and falsified (SF) medicines. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Observational time and motion studies of the inspections by 16 Lao medicine inspectors of 1) the stock of an Evaluation Pharmacy (EP), constructed to resemble a Lao pharmacy, and 2) a sample set of medicines (SSM); were conducted without and with six devices: four handheld spectrometers (two near infrared: MicroPHAZIR RX, NIR-S-G1 & two Raman: Progeny, Truscan RM); one portable mid-infrared spectrometer (4500a), and single-use paper analytical devices (PAD). User experiences were documented by interviews and focus group discussions. Significantly more samples were wrongly categorised as pass/fail with the PAD compared to the other devices in EP inspections (p<0.05). The numbers of samples wrongly classified in EP inspections were significantly lower than in initial visual inspections without devices for 3/6 devices (NIR-S-G1, MicroPHAZIR RX, 4500a). The NIR-S-G1 had the fastest testing time per sample (median 93.5 sec, p<0.001). The time spent on EP visual inspection was significantly shorter when using a device than for inspections without devices, except with the 4500a, risking missing visual clues of samples being SF. The main user errors were the selection of wrong spectrometer reference libraries and wrong user interpretation of PAD results. Limitations included repeated inspections of the EP by the same inspectors with different devices and the small sample size of SF medicines. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This pilot study suggests policy makers wishing to implement portable screening devices in PMS should be aware that overconfidence in devices may cause harm by reducing inspectors' investment in visual inspection. It also provides insight into the advantages/limitations of diverse screening devices in the hands of end-users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Caillet
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)/WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Serena Vickers
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)/WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Zambrzycki
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Facundo M. Fernández
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Vayouly Vidhamaly
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)/WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kem Boutsamay
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)/WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Phonepasith Boupha
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)/WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Pimnara Peerawaranun
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mavuto Mukaka
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Paul N. Newton
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)/WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Uddin M, Salah K, Jayaraman R, Pesic S, Ellahham S. Blockchain for drug traceability: Architectures and open challenges. Health Informatics J 2021; 27:14604582211011228. [PMID: 33899576 DOI: 10.1177/14604582211011228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC) consists of multiple stakeholders including raw material suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, regulatory authorities, pharmacies, hospitals, and patients. The complexity of product and transaction flows in PSC requires an effective traceability system to determine the current and all previous product ownerships. In addition, digitizing track and trace process provides significant benefit for regulatory oversight and ensures product safety. Blockchain-based drug traceability offers a potential solution to create a distributed shared data platform for an immutable, trustworthy, accountable and transparent system in the PSC. In this paper, we present an overview of product traceability issues in the PSC and envisage how blockchain technology can provide effective provenance, track and trace solution to mitigate counterfeit medications. We propose two potential blockchain based decentralized architectures, Hyperledger Fabric and Besu to meet critical requirements for drug traceability such as privacy, trust, transparency, security, authorization and authentication, and scalability. We propose, discuss, and compare two potential blockchain architectures for drug traceability. We identify and discuss several open research challenges related to the application of blockchain technology for drug traceability. The proposed blockchain architectures provide a valuable roadmap for Health Informatics researchers to build and deploy an end-to-end solution for the pharmaceutical industry.
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Tobolkina E, Rudaz S. Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments for Medical Applications and Falsified Drug Analysis/Quality Control in Developing Countries. Anal Chem 2021; 93:8107-8115. [PMID: 34061489 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c00839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The implementation of integrated analytical techniques to meet stringent requirements in the life sciences requires a well-developed analytical capacity. New technology in analytical equipment for the analysis of large and small molecules is continuously being developed. However, developing countries frequently struggle to keep pace with technological advancements. Hence, it is of utmost importance to better invest in optimizing existing and proven methodologies to tackle life-saving challenges in developing countries. In this regard, capillary electrophoresis is a promising candidate for solving multiple analytical problems compared to its chromatographic and spectroscopic counterparts due to its fast analytical response time and notable cost efficiency. In the following, we summarize various issues and opportunities for capillary electrophoresis to be the technique of choice for the unresolved bottlenecks in analytical equipment in developing countries for drug quality control. This perspective demonstrates that the ongoing quest for the design of new, impactful analytical techniques is a dynamic and rapidly developing research area and mentions some directions and opportunities that have arisen during the recent pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Tobolkina
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Serge Rudaz
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
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26
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Eiben H, Hala L, Slipchuk V. The current state of the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine, quality assurance and falfication of medicines. PHARMACIA 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/pharmacia.68.e64723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of our article was the study of the current state of the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine in the context of the quality assurance of medicines and preventing the spread of falsified medicines (FM), the identification of the main problems in the field of circulation of medicines and the ways to solve them. It is established that the dynamic development of the pharmaceutical market and its high profitability cause problem of drug quality, increasing threats to the spread of FM in circulation and require the implementation of effective mechanisms for regulation of quality and safety of medicines. Analysis the annual official statistics of the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drug Control for the period of 2008–2019 on the number of detected FM in circulation showed a steady trend of increasing FM and insufficient implementation of effective measures to combat them. The creation of effective quality assurance system of drugs and preventing the spread of FM need to improve the organization of state control of drug quality, strengthening criminal liability for falsification of drugs and optimization of the system of their detection.
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27
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Shiferie F, Kassa E. The scourge of substandard and falsified medical products gets worse with COVID-19 pandemic. Pan Afr Med J 2021; 37:344. [PMID: 33738032 PMCID: PMC7934180 DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2020.37.344.26322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Although health professionals, communities, governments and global institutions work closely to halt the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its societal impact, COVID-19 remains a challenge to many countries around the world. In addition to its direct health, economic and social consequences, the pandemic has also resulted in unforeseen consequences in Africa especially in East African countries. COVID-19 might increase the demand and consumption of Substandard and Falsified (SF) medical products in three major ways. The first way is due to the inability of vulnerable segment of the population to access healthcare services as they used to do before. The second way people get exposed to SF medical products is due to fear of being quarantined, isolated and traced. Yet another way is related to import permits for medical products. Concerned regulatory bodies shall intervene aggressively in ensuring the safety, quality and effectiveness of medical products before we face a parallel pandemic from SF medical products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fisseha Shiferie
- Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Eden Kassa
- Defense Health Science College, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia
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28
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Assi S, Arafat B, Lawson-Wood K, Robertson I. Authentication of Antibiotics Using Portable Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Multivariate Data Analysis. APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY 2021; 75:434-444. [PMID: 32830991 PMCID: PMC8645310 DOI: 10.1177/0003702820958081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Counterfeit medicines represent a global public health threat warranting the development of accurate, rapid, and nondestructive methods for their identification. Portable near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy offers this advantage. This work sheds light on the potential of combining NIR spectroscopy with principal component analysis (PCA) and soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA) for authenticating branded and generic antibiotics. A total of 23 antibiotics were measured "nondestructively" using a portable NIR spectrometer. The antibiotics corresponded to six different active pharmaceutical ingredients being: amoxicillin trihydrate and clavulanic acid, azithromycin dihydrate, ciprofloxacin hydrochloride, doxycycline hydrochloride, and ofloxacin. NIR spectra were exported into Matlab R2018b where data analysis was applied. The results showed that the NIR spectra of the medicines showed characteristic features that corresponded to the main excipient(s). When combined with PCA, NIR spectroscopy could distinguish between branded and generic medicines and could classify medicines according to their manufacturing sources. The PCA scores showed the distinct clusters corresponding to each group of antibiotics, whereas the loadings indicated which spectral features were significant. SIMCA provided more accurate classification over PCA for all antibiotics except ciprofloxacin which products shared many overlapping excipients. In summary, the findings of the study demonstrated the feasibility of portable NIR as an initial method for screening antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulaf Assi
- Pharmacy and Biomolecular Science,
Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Basel Arafat
- Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine
and Social Care, Chelmsford, UK
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29
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Uddin M. Blockchain Medledger: Hyperledger fabric enabled drug traceability system for counterfeit drugs in pharmaceutical industry. Int J Pharm 2021; 597:120235. [PMID: 33549813 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Counterfeit drugs are one of the most severe threats to the pharmaceutical industry. World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that nearly 1035% of the drugs, i.e., one out of ten medicines produced in the least developing countries, are counterfeit and have serious side effects on human lives. The upsurge in online and Internet-based pharmacies has made the safety and security of the drug supply chain process more intricate and complicated. This research proposes a new and novel track and trace blockchain-enabled Medledger system that leverages the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain platform using chaincodes (smart contracts). The proposed Medledger system helps to efficiently and securely execute drug supply chain transactions in a fabric enabled private permissioned distributed network of different pharmaceutical stakeholders. Our proposed traceability solution diminishes the need for a trusted centralized authority, intermediaries and provides transaction records, enhancing efficiency and safety with high integrity, reliability, and security that reduces the likelihood of meddling with stored data on the Medledger. Chaincodes are designed, coded, and implemented using sequence diagrams to govern and control the interaction amongst the participating stakeholders in the drug supply chain ecosystem. The proposed system perpetually stores and records all activities, events, and transactions on the blockchain's immutable Medledger linked with peer-to-peer decentralized file systems such as IPFS, Swarm, filecoin, etc. for storing and providing maximum transparency and traceability. We provide an insight into some of the ongoing implementation challenges for the hyperledger fabric platform. Finally, we discuss open challenges that serve as future research directions to improve the drug traceability solutions further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mueen Uddin
- Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Negara, Brunei Darussalam.
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30
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Chen HH, Higgins C, Laing SK, Bliese SL, Lieberman M, Ozawa S. Cost savings of paper analytical devices (PADs) to detect substandard and falsified antibiotics: Kenya case study. MEDICINE ACCESS @ POINT OF CARE 2021; 5. [PMID: 33834120 PMCID: PMC8026160 DOI: 10.1177/2399202620980303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Over 10% of antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are
substandard or falsified. Detection of poor-quality antibiotics via the gold
standard method, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), is slow and
costly. Paper analytical devices (PADs) and antibiotic paper analytical
devices (aPADs) have been developed as an inexpensive way to estimate
antibiotic quality in LMICs. Aim: To model the impact of using a rapid screening tools, PADs/aPADs, to improve
the quality of amoxicillin used for treatment of childhood pneumonia in
Kenya. Methods: We developed an agent-based model, ESTEEM (Examining Screening Technologies
with Economic Evaluations for Medicines), to estimate the effectiveness and
cost savings of incorporating PADs and aPADs in amoxicillin quality
surveillance in Kenya. We compared the current testing scenario (batches of
entire samples tested by HPLC) with an expedited HPLC scenario (testing
smaller batches at a time), as well as a screening scenario using PADs/aPADs
to identify poor-quality amoxicillin followed by confirmatory analysis with
HPLC. Results: Scenarios using PADs/aPADs or expedited HPLC yielded greater incremental
benefits than the current testing scenario by annually averting 586 (90%
uncertainty range (UR) 364–874) and 221 (90% UR 126–332) child pneumonia
deaths, respectively. The PADs/aPADs screening scenario identified and
removed poor-quality antibiotics faster than the expedited or regular HPLC
scenarios, and reduced costs significantly. The PADs/aPADs scenario resulted
in an incremental return of $14.9 million annually compared with the
reference scenario of only using HPLC. Conclusion: This analysis shows the significant value of PADs/aPADs as a medicine quality
screening and testing tool in LMICs with limited resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Han Chen
- Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Colleen Higgins
- Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sarah K Laing
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sarah L Bliese
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Marya Lieberman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Sachiko Ozawa
- Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Maternal and Child Health, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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31
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Ciapponi A, Donato M, Gülmezoglu AM, Alconada T, Bardach A. Mobile apps for detecting falsified and substandard drugs: A systematic review. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246061. [PMID: 33539433 PMCID: PMC7861418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of substandard and counterfeit medicines (SCM) leads to significant health and economic consequences, like treatment failure, rise of antimicrobial resistance, extra expenditures of individuals or households and serious adverse drug reactions including death. Our objective was to systematically search, identify and compare relevant available mobile applications (apps) for smartphones and tablets, which use could potentially affect clinical and public health outcomes. We carried out a systematic review of the literature in January 2020, including major medical databases, and app stores. We used the validated Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) to assess the quality of apps, (1 worst score, 3 acceptable score, and 5 best score). We planned to evaluate the accuracy of the mobile apps to detect SCM. We retrieved 335 references through medical databases and 42 from Apple, Google stores and Google Scholar. We finally included two studies of the medical database, 25 apps (eight from the App Store, eight from Google Play, eight from both stores, and one from Google Scholar), and 16 websites. We only found one report on the accuracy of a mobile apps detecting SCMs. Most apps use the imprint, color or shape for pill identification, and only a few offer pill detection through photographs or bar code. The MARS mean score for the apps was 3.17 (acceptable), with a maximum of 4.9 and a minimum of 1.1. The 'functionality' dimension resulted in the highest mean score (3.4), while the 'engagement' and 'information' dimensions showed the lowest one (3.0). In conclusion, we found a remarkable evidence gap about the accuracy of mobile apps in detecting SCMs. However, mobile apps could potentially be useful to screen for SCM by assessing the physical characteristics of pills, although this should still be assessed in properly designed research studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Ciapponi
- Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones Epidemiológicas y Salud Pública (CIESP-IECS), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- * E-mail:
| | - Manuel Donato
- Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones Epidemiológicas y Salud Pública (CIESP-IECS), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - A. Metin Gülmezoglu
- Department of Reproductive Health and Research, UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Tomás Alconada
- Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones Epidemiológicas y Salud Pública (CIESP-IECS), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ariel Bardach
- Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones Epidemiológicas y Salud Pública (CIESP-IECS), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Bakker-'t Hart IME, Ohana D, Venhuis BJ. Current challenges in the detection and analysis of falsified medicines. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2021; 197:113948. [PMID: 33582458 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2021.113948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Falsified medicines affect public health all around the globe. Complex distribution routes, illegal online webshops and reuse of packaging materials make them hard to detect. In order to tackle this problem, detection methods for the recognition of suspicious medicines and subsequent confirmation of falsification by analytical techniques is required. In this review, we focus on the developments and challenges that existed in the last five years (2015-2020) in the detection and analysis of falsified medicines. These challenges might have not been solved yet or arisen with new types of falsifications, new analytical techniques or detection strategies. Detection of suspicious medicines starts with visual inspection of packaging materials. However, re-use of packaging materials and high-quality imitations complicate visual inspection. Recent developments in the analysis of packaging by microscopic and spectroscopic techniques such as optical microscopy, X-ray fluorescence, infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy or microscopy, in combination with multivariate analysis show promising results in the detection of falsified medicines. An ongoing big challenge in the analysis of falsified medicines is the affordability of analytical devices. Yet, recent reports showed that lower cost devices, such as Counterfeit Drug Indicator or Counterfeit Detection device version 3 show promising use in the detection of falsified medicines. Furthermore, combining the outcomes of different low-cost analytical techniques, such as Minilab, colorimetry and Counterfeit Drug Indicator significantly increased selectivity and sensitivity in the detection of falsified medicines. Also, recent developments make it possible to link a low-cost technique, such as TLC, to mobile phones. Proper training of personnel has shown room for improvement and remains a challenge, even for relatively simple techniques. With an increased use of analytical fingerprints, an upcoming challenge is the accessibility of the growing pool of data. There is also the need of validated reference libraries on both national and international levels. Developments of the last few years bring us a step closer in the fight against falsified medicines, however challenges remain in the worldwide accessibility of affordable, easily operable and sensitive techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid M E Bakker-'t Hart
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie Van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Dana Ohana
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie Van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan J Venhuis
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie Van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
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Kretchy IA, Asiedu-Danso M, Kretchy JP. Medication management and adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives and experiences from low-and middle-income countries. Res Social Adm Pharm 2021; 17:2023-2026. [PMID: 32307319 PMCID: PMC7158799 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is placing a huge strain on health systems worldwide. Suggested solutions like social distancing and lockdowns in some areas to help contain the spread of the virus may affect special patient populations like those with chronic illnesses who are unable to access healthcare facilities for their routine care and medicines management. Retail pharmacy outlets are the likely facilities for easy access by these patients. The contribution of community pharmacists in these facilities to manage chronic conditions and promote medication adherence during this COVID-19 pandemic will be essential in easing the burden on already strained health systems. This paper highlights the pharmaceutical care practices of community pharmacists for patients with chronic diseases during this pandemic. This would provide support for the call by the WHO to maintain essential services during the pandemic, in order to prevent non-COVID disease burden on healthcare systems particularly in low-and middle-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene A Kretchy
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, P.O. Box LG 43, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
| | - Michelle Asiedu-Danso
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, P.O. Box LG 43, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
| | - James-Paul Kretchy
- Department of Physician Assistantship Studies, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Central University, Accra, Ghana.
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Yabré M, Ferey L, Sakira AK, Bonmatin C, Fauré C, Somé TI, Gaudin K. Green Analytical Methods of Antimalarial Artemether-Lumefantrine Analysis for Falsification Detection Using a Low-Cost Handled NIR Spectrometer with DD-SIMCA and Drug Quantification by HPLC. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25153397. [PMID: 32727052 PMCID: PMC7435840 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25153397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Two green analytical approaches have been developed for the analysis of antimalarial fixed dose tablets of artemether and lumefantrine for quality control. The first approach consisted of investigating the qualitative performance of a low-cost handheld near-infrared spectrometer in combination with the principal component analysis as an exploratory tool to identify trends, similarities, and differences between pharmaceutical samples, before applying the data driven soft independent modeling of class analogy (DD-SIMCA) as a one-class classifier for proper drug falsification detection with 100% of both sensitivity and specificity in the studied cases. Despite its limited spectral range and low resolution, the handheld device allowed detecting falsified drugs with no active pharmaceutical ingredient and identifying specifically a pharmaceutical tablet brand name. The second approach was the quantitative analysis based on the green and fast RP-HPLC technique using ethanol as a green organic solvent and acetic acid as a green pH modifier. The optimal separation was achieved in 7 min using a mobile phase composed of ethanol 96% and 10 mM of acetic acid pH 3.35 (63:37, v/v). The developed method was validated according to the total error approach based on an accuracy profile, was applied to the analysis of tablets, and allowed confirming falsified drugs detected by spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moussa Yabré
- ChemBioPharm Team, ARNA Laboratory, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, 146, Rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux University, 33076 Bordeaux, France; (M.Y.); (L.F.); (C.B.); (C.F.)
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie, Environnement et Santé (LATES), Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Ouaga 03 BP 7021, Burkina Faso; (A.K.S.); (T.I.S.)
| | - Ludivine Ferey
- ChemBioPharm Team, ARNA Laboratory, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, 146, Rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux University, 33076 Bordeaux, France; (M.Y.); (L.F.); (C.B.); (C.F.)
| | - Abdoul Karim Sakira
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie, Environnement et Santé (LATES), Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Ouaga 03 BP 7021, Burkina Faso; (A.K.S.); (T.I.S.)
| | - Camille Bonmatin
- ChemBioPharm Team, ARNA Laboratory, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, 146, Rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux University, 33076 Bordeaux, France; (M.Y.); (L.F.); (C.B.); (C.F.)
| | - Clotilde Fauré
- ChemBioPharm Team, ARNA Laboratory, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, 146, Rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux University, 33076 Bordeaux, France; (M.Y.); (L.F.); (C.B.); (C.F.)
| | - Touridomon Issa Somé
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie, Environnement et Santé (LATES), Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Ouaga 03 BP 7021, Burkina Faso; (A.K.S.); (T.I.S.)
| | - Karen Gaudin
- ChemBioPharm Team, ARNA Laboratory, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, 146, Rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux University, 33076 Bordeaux, France; (M.Y.); (L.F.); (C.B.); (C.F.)
- Correspondence:
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35
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Field-based screening of selected oral antibiotics in Belize. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234814. [PMID: 32555711 PMCID: PMC7299385 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The presence of poor quality antibiotics on the market has contributed to the antibiotics resistance and global threat to public health. Antibiotic resistance is now a global concern. One area to address this issue is by evaluating the quality of antibiotics accessible to the public. The purpose of this study was to test and compare (with corresponding pharmacopeia) the quality of common oral antibiotics available in the country of Belize with a view to providing base-line data on the testing of medications imported to the country for public consumption. The study focused only on level 2 field-based screening quality assurance on three Key Access Antibiotics from the World Health Organization (WHO) Model List of Essential Medicines. Methods Five brands of antibiotic tablets/capsules with denoted pharmacopeia imported into the country of Belize were tested for quality at The University of Belize pharmacy laboratory. A sample of 30 tablets/capsules each of the selected antibiotic brand were used for study. Visual inspection and weight variation were done for each sample while Monsanto type tablet hardness tester, Roche@Tablet Friability Test Apparatus (single drum), and Ajanta@ Tablet Disintegration Test Apparatus (double basket) were conducted on selected antibiotics. Results were recorded and compared with corresponding pharmacopoeia references. Results Most of the samples collected passed performed tests. Only a few samples from both BP and USP antibiotics failed in visual inspection and weight variation tests. All antibiotics tested conformed to their corresponding pharmacopeia reference in terms of friability and disintegration time. Conclusion Most of the selected antibiotics passed performed tests when compared with their pharmacopeia. Only a few samples from both BP and USP antibiotics failed the tests conducted. There is need for regular quality assurance tests on all medications imported to Belize especially antibiotics.
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Berneira LM, da Silva CC, Passos LF, Poletti T, Dos Santos MAZ, de Pereira CMP. Analytical approaches applied to the analysis of apprehended formulations of anabolic androgenic steroids. Drug Test Anal 2020; 12:1264-1273. [PMID: 32537903 DOI: 10.1002/dta.2877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) comprise a class of synthetic androgens resulting from chemical modifications of testosterone, known for their illicit consumption, which can result inextensive side effects. Extraction procedures applied to the analysis of their formulations are still limited to a few methodologies, despite the increasing numbers of confiscations of AASs. In this sense, the aims of this work were to evaluate the extraction of active ingredients from formulations of anabolic agents using solid-liquid or liquid-iquid, ultrasonic bath, ultrasonicprobe, and microwave-assisted extraction. The results indicated that the extraction procedures influenced the detected concentration of AASs, as the use of ultrasonic probe and microwave irradiation increased the overall extraction of anabolic agents compared with solid-liquid, liquid-liquid, and ultrasonic bath. Regarding oxymetholone, for instance, the microwave-assisted extraction and ultrasonic probe extracted, respectively, 37.46 ± 1.36 and 35.69 ± 0.98 mg/tablet, while solid-liquid extracted 29.63 ± 0.40 mg/tablet of the activeingredient. Therefore, alternative methods such as microwave-assisted extraction or theultrasonic probe could be used for the analysis of formulations of AASs assisting with the identification of illicit and toxic components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas M Berneira
- Center of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Lipidomic and Bio-Organic Laboratory, Bioforensic Research Group, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Caroline C da Silva
- Center of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Lipidomic and Bio-Organic Laboratory, Bioforensic Research Group, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Luan F Passos
- Center of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Lipidomic and Bio-Organic Laboratory, Bioforensic Research Group, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Tais Poletti
- Center of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Lipidomic and Bio-Organic Laboratory, Bioforensic Research Group, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Marco A Z Dos Santos
- Center of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Lipidomic and Bio-Organic Laboratory, Bioforensic Research Group, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Claudio M P de Pereira
- Center of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Lipidomic and Bio-Organic Laboratory, Bioforensic Research Group, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
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Chan AHY, Rutter V, Ashiru-Oredope D, Tuck C, Babar ZUD. Together we unite: the role of the Commonwealth in achieving universal health coverage through pharmaceutical care amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. J Pharm Policy Pract 2020; 13:13. [PMID: 32426144 PMCID: PMC7218554 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-020-00214-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The world currently faces unprecedented health challenges as COVID-19 poses a huge threat to health systems, economies and societies as we know it. The events of the current COVID-19 pandemic have further emphasised existing issues within our health systems. There is no better time than now to come together in global solidarity to tackle these evolving threats of COVID-19 pandemic. The Commonwealth is an ideally placed network to tackle these global health challenges, with its wide-reaching networks of governmental, non-governmental and civil society organisations across all continents. Although the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) originally scheduled to take place in Kigali in Rwanda 22-27 June 2020 has been postponed in view of COVID-19, Commonwealth country discussions are continuing, centred on the CHOGM key theme of 'Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming', and five subthemes of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Innovation; Trade; Environment; Governance and the Rule of Law; and Youth. The planned CHOGM and Commonwealth itself provides all members a timely platform to consider innovative ways to connect, innovate and transform healthcare to meet the needs of their populations. This commentary considers these five CHOGM subthemes and how member nations can be supported to achieve universal health coverage through optimising medicines use and outcomes, in the midst of a global pandemic in line with the global health agenda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Hai Yan Chan
- Commonwealth Pharmacists Association, London, UK
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Level 3, Building 505, 85 Pard Road, Grafton, Auckland, 1023 New Zealand
| | - Victoria Rutter
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Level 3, Building 505, 85 Pard Road, Grafton, Auckland, 1023 New Zealand
| | - Diane Ashiru-Oredope
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Level 3, Building 505, 85 Pard Road, Grafton, Auckland, 1023 New Zealand
| | - Chloe Tuck
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Level 3, Building 505, 85 Pard Road, Grafton, Auckland, 1023 New Zealand
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Schiavetti B, Wynendaele E, Melotte V, Van der Elst J, De Spiegeleer B, Ravinetto R. A simplified checklist for the visual inspection of finished pharmaceutical products: a way to empower frontline health workers in the fight against poor-quality medicines. J Pharm Policy Pract 2020; 13:9. [PMID: 32377348 PMCID: PMC7193355 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-020-00211-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Substandard and falsified medicines, mainly prevalent in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), cause avoidable morbidity and mortality, and put at stake the performance of health systems. They may be prevented by an adequate implementation of pharmaceutical Quality Assurance (QA) guidelines, but unfortunately, most guidelines address upstream stakeholders and specialized staff in the supply chain. A multi-layered approach is needed, in order to empower the health workers at the point-of-care to proactively contribute to the fight against poor-quality medicines. Visual inspection is a simple technique, suitable for field screening. The findings of a survey conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) suggested that it might be a fairly good (yet partial) predictor of poor-quality, when compared to full laboratory tests. Methods and results Starting from the 68-questions checklist originally used in the survey in the DRC, we developed a simplified checklist, specifically designed to guide health workers at the point of care to rapidly identify suspect poor-quality medicines. We selected those medicines’ attributes the assessment of which does not require technical expertise, or access to regulatory information. Attributes were categorized according to a 3-level risk scale, to guide decision-making on suspect poor-quality medicines, based on an informed risk assessment. The simplified checklist contains 26 binary questions (YES/NO), grouped into four themes: packaging, identification, traceability, and physical appearance. Each non-conformity corresponds to a level of risk for patients. The user is guided towards three possible actions: A) reasonably safe for dispensing; B) dispense with explanation; C) quarantine and make a risk-benefit evaluation before dispensing. Conclusion The simplified checklist should now be implemented in real-life setting in LMICs. If proven useful in guiding health workers at the point-of-care to take rapid, transparent, patient-centred actions when facing a suspect poor-quality medicine, it could be further extended to address specific formulations. Digitalization for linkage with pharmacovigilance programs could also be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Schiavetti
- 1Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Nationalestraat 155, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - E Wynendaele
- 2Department Pharmaceutical Analysis, DruQuaR (Drug Quality & Registration), Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - J Van der Elst
- Centre for Adult Education CVO COOVI, Emile Grysonlaan 1, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - B De Spiegeleer
- 2Department Pharmaceutical Analysis, DruQuaR (Drug Quality & Registration), Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - R Ravinetto
- 5Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Nationalestraat 155, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium
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Wang W, Keller MD, Baughman T, Wilson BK. Evaluating Low-Cost Optical Spectrometers for the Detection of Simulated Substandard and Falsified Medicines. APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY 2020; 74:323-333. [PMID: 31617368 PMCID: PMC7066480 DOI: 10.1177/0003702819877422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Distribution of substandard and falsified (SF) medicines is on the rise, and its impact on public health, particularly in low-resource countries, is becoming increasingly significant. Portable, nondestructive screening devices can support regulatory authorities in their defense against the spread of SF medicines. Vibrational spectroscopy is an ideal candidate due to its sampling ease and speed. In this work, five portable, among which four are considered low-cost, spectroscopic devices based on near-infrared (NIR), Raman, and mid-infrared (MIR) were evaluated to quantify active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulation accuracy within simulated authentic, falsified, and substandard medicines. Binary sample mixtures containing a typical API in antimalarial, antiretroviral, or anti-tuberculosis medicines were assessed. In both univariate and multivariate analyses, the API quantification performance of the digital light processing (DLP) NIR spectrometer and a handheld Raman device consistently matched or exceeded that of the other NIR spectrometers and a scientific grade MIR spectrometer. In the formulation accuracy tests, data from all devices, other than the silicon photodiode array NIR spectrometer, were able to create regression models with less than 6% error. From this exploratory study, we conclude that certain portable NIR devices hold significant promise as cost-effective screening tools for falsified and potentially substandard medicines, and they warrant further investigation and development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Benjamin K. Wilson
- Benjamin K. Wilson, Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA.
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Zhang H, Hua D, Huang C, Samal SK, Xiong R, Sauvage F, Braeckmans K, Remaut K, De Smedt SC. Materials and Technologies to Combat Counterfeiting of Pharmaceuticals: Current and Future Problem Tackling. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1905486. [PMID: 32009266 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201905486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The globalization of drug trade leads to the expansion of pharmaceutical counterfeiting. The immense threat of low quality drugs to millions of patients is considered to be an under-addressed global health challenge. Analytical authentication technologies are the most effective methods to identify active pharmaceutical ingredients and impurities. However, most of these analytical testing techniques are expensive and need skilled personnel. To combat counterfeiting of drugs, the package of an increasing number of drugs is being protected through advanced package labeling technologies. Though, package labeling is only effective if the drugs are not repackaged. Therefore "in-drug labeling," instead of "drug package labeling," may become powerful tools to protect drugs. This review aims to overview how advanced micro- and nanomaterials might become interesting markers for the labeling of tablets and capsules. Clearly, how well such identifiers can be integrated into "solid drugs" without compromising drug safety and efficacy remains a challenge. Also, incorporation of tags has so far only been reported for the protection of solid drug dosage forms. No doubts that in-drug labeling technologies for "liquid drugs," like injectables which contain expensive peptides, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, dermal fillers, could help to protect them from counterfeiting as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heyang Zhang
- Joint Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Technology (NFU-UGent), College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, 210037, Nanjing, P. R. China
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dawei Hua
- Joint Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Technology (NFU-UGent), College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, 210037, Nanjing, P. R. China
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Chaobo Huang
- Joint Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Technology (NFU-UGent), College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, 210037, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Sangram Keshari Samal
- Laboratory of Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine for Advanced Therapies, Indian Council of Medical Research-Regional Medical Research Center, 751023, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Ranhua Xiong
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Félix Sauvage
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kevin Braeckmans
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Katrien Remaut
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stefaan C De Smedt
- Joint Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Technology (NFU-UGent), College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, 210037, Nanjing, P. R. China
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
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Chen C, Tang X, Masna NVR, Bhunia S, Mandal S. Single-shot spatially-localized NQR using field-dependent relaxation rates. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2020; 311:106660. [PMID: 31865184 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2019.106660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) is commonly used to characterize solid materials containing quadrupolar nuclei. For example, NQR is a promising technique for detecting plastic explosives and other forbidden substances as well as for authenticating pharmaceutical products. Spatially-resolved NQR measurements are of particular interest for enabling automated sample positioning, evaluation of sample heterogeneity, and chemometric authentication of objects. This paper proposes a rapid "single-shot" method for spatially-resolved NQR with the potential to benefit such applications. The proposed method takes advantage of the fact that certain NQR relaxation rates are field-dependent: the observed field dependence is used to convert relaxation time distributions measured in a static field gradient (estimated via Laplace inversion of time-domain data) into spatial distributions. The method was validated using 35Cl and 37Cl NQR of sodium chlorate and other compounds. Effective spatial resolution was also improved by using machine learning (ML) to classify the measured spatial distributions. In particular, experimental results demonstrate accurate ML-based classification of 3D-printed objects containing arbitrary binary distributions of sodium chlorate. Such distributions can thus be used as NQR-based "embedded barcodes" for authenticating high-value objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Chen
- Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Xinyao Tang
- Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | | | | | - Soumyajit Mandal
- Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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Nayyar GML, Breman JG, Mackey TK, Clark JP, Hajjou M, Littrell M, Herrington JE. Falsified and Substandard Drugs: Stopping the Pandemic. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 100:1058-1065. [PMID: 30860016 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Falsified and substandard medicines are associated with tens of thousands of deaths, mainly in young children in poor countries. Poor-quality drugs exact an annual economic toll of up to US$200 billion and contribute to the increasing peril of antimicrobial resistance. The WHO has emerged recently as the global leader in the battle against poor-quality drugs, and pharmaceutical companies have increased their roles in assuring the integrity of drug supply chains. Despite advances in drug quality surveillance and detection technology, more efforts are urgently required in research, policy, and field monitoring to halt the pandemic of bad drugs. In addition to strengthening international and national pharmaceutical governance, in part by national implementation of the Model Law on Medicines and Crime, a quantifiable Sustainable Development Goal target and an international convention to insure drug quality and safety are urgent priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joel G Breman
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Tim K Mackey
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - John P Clark
- Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Global Security, New York, New York
| | - Mustapha Hajjou
- Global Health Impact Programs, United States Pharmacopeial Convention, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Megan Littrell
- Public Affairs, Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), Seattle, Washington
| | - James E Herrington
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Leem JW, Kim MS, Choi SH, Kim SR, Kim SW, Song YM, Young RJ, Kim YL. Edible unclonable functions. Nat Commun 2020; 11:328. [PMID: 31949156 PMCID: PMC6965141 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-14066-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Counterfeit medicines are a fundamental security problem. Counterfeiting medication poses a tremendous threat to patient safety, public health, and the economy in developed and less developed countries. Current solutions are often vulnerable due to the limited security levels. We propose that the highest protection against counterfeit medicines would be a combination of a physically unclonable function (PUF) with on-dose authentication. A PUF can provide a digital fingerprint with multiple pairs of input challenges and output responses. On-dose authentication can verify every individual pill without removing the identification tag. Here, we report on-dose PUFs that can be directly attached onto the surface of medicines, be swallowed, and digested. Fluorescent proteins and silk proteins serve as edible photonic biomaterials and the photoluminescent properties provide parametric support of challenge-response pairs. Such edible cryptographic primitives can play an important role in pharmaceutical anti-counterfeiting and other security applications requiring immediate destruction or vanishing features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Woo Leem
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
| | - Min Seok Kim
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Gwangju Institute of Science Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Ho Choi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Ryul Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biology, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Wanju, 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Wan Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biology, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Wanju, 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Min Song
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Gwangju Institute of Science Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Robert J Young
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK
| | - Young L Kim
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA.
- Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA.
- Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA.
- Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA.
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Ančevska-Netkovska K, Brezovska K, Geškovski N, Tonik-Ribarska J, Petrovska-Jakimovska B, Achevski B, Goračinova K. The role of intellectual property rights and package safety features in the prevention of counterfeit medicines. ARHIV ZA FARMACIJU 2020. [DOI: 10.5937/arhfarm70-28974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The fast growth of counterfeiting medicines in the last two decades has created one of the biggest problems facing the pharmaceutical industry on the global level, resulting in loss of income, product withdrawal, loss of brand value, etc. But this is not only the problem of the intellectual property rights of the pharmaceutical industry, it is also the problem of the healthcare regulatory authorities, whose most significant concern is the risk to the public health. Pharmaceutical manufacturers, together with the wholesalers and retailers, have an essential role in the fight against counterfeit medicines by the implementation of different anti-counterfeit technologies for securing the supply-chain of medicines. The protection of drug packaging has a specific role in the drug development process, as well as in the fight against counterfeit medicine. The authenticity of the medicine and the forensic elements for protection on the packaging may be confirmed using different technologies. Tracking and tracing of pharmaceutical products in the supply chain, keeping electronic records for all stages of the distribution, and verification of the authenticity of a medicinal product is a key element and an effective solution for timely detection of counterfeit medicines and protection of intellectual property rights.
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Opuni KFM, Nettey H, Larbi MA, Amartey SNA, Nti G, Dzidonu A, Owusu-Danso P, Owusu NA, Nyarko AK. Usefulness of combined screening methods for rapid detection of falsified and/or substandard medicines in the absence of a confirmatory method. Malar J 2019; 18:403. [PMID: 31805937 PMCID: PMC6896689 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-3045-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The influx of substandard and falsified medicines is a global public health challenge and its rapid detection is a key solution to the menace. This study used three screening methods and one confirmatory method for the quality assessment of 25 batches of artemether/lumefantrine dosage forms from the Ghanaian market to test that combined screening methods only can rapidly detect substandard and/or falsified medicines in areas where confirmatory methods may not be available. Methods The quality of artemether/lumefantrine tablet products obtained from pharmacies and licensed chemical seller shops within the Accra metropolis in Ghana were analysed using three screening methods (GPHF Minilab, Colorimetry and Counterfeit Drug Indicator) and one confirmatory method (high-performance liquid chromatography). Results The results showed that 18/25 batches of the artemether/lumefantrine samples passed using the combined screening and confirmatory methods and 5/25 batches of the artemether/lumefantrine samples failed using the combined screening and confirmatory methods. However, 1/25 batch of the artemether/lumefantrine samples failed using the combined screening methods but passed using the confirmatory method. Also, 1/25 batch of the artemether/lumefantrine samples passed using the combined screening methods but failed using the confirmatory method. This notwithstanding, the combined screening methods and the confirmatory method provided equivalent quality assessment profiles for 23/25 (92%) batches of the artemether/lumefantrine tablet products. Out of the 6 samples that failed the confirmatory test, 1/6, 2/6, and 3/6 failed on the high (> 110%), low (< 90%), and no active ingredient (0%), respectively. The sensitivity of Minilab, colorimetric, CoDI, and the combined screening methods at 95% confidence level were 0.5 ± 0.57, 0.83 ± 0.33, 0.75 ± 0.49, and 0.83 ± 0.33, respectively. Also, the specificity of Minilab, colorimetric, CoDI, and the combined screening methods at 95% confidence level were 1.00, 0.95 ± 0.10, 1.00, and 0.95 ± 0.10, respectively. Conclusion The combined screening methods may be used for rapid detection of falsified and/or substandard medicines without using a confirmatory method. However, additional research on the best combinations of screening devices/methods to rapidly detect the quality of medicines is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henry Nettey
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Marvin Adjei Larbi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Gifty Nti
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Abraham Dzidonu
- Apotheke Doc Morris, Avantisalle 152, 6422 RA, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Alexander Kwadwo Nyarko
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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Rasheed H, Hoellein L, Bukhari KS, Holzgrabe U. Regulatory framework in Pakistan: situation analysis of medicine quality and future recommendations. J Pharm Policy Pract 2019; 12:23. [PMID: 31528352 PMCID: PMC6737614 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-019-0184-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quality issues in pharmaceuticals are identified as a huge global and public health problem, especially with reference to low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan. The 2011 "Fake Drug Crisis" acted as a driving force to reform the regulatory structures of the country and for establishing the autonomous "Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan". Despite the fact that Pakistan possesses a huge pharmaceutical industry, there is a severe dearth of published literature and scientific evidence for the country regarding medicine quality and the prevalence of counterfeit and low-quality products, respectively. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This narrative review covers relevant features of the regulatory framework for pharmaceuticals in Pakistan, its national pharmaceutical industry, as well as a compilation and analysis of published literature for documentation of the country's situation regarding the overall quality of medicines. METHODS Available data including scientific publications on the quality of pharmaceuticals in peer reviewed journals, research reports, notifications, and alerts issued by the World Health Organization and other agencies were accessed and compiled. Post graduate dissertations were used to represent unpublished research data and drug safety alerts issued from the local Pakistan authority were analysed to assess the type and number of quality failures reported for pharmaceuticals. RESULTS It could be clearly shown that there is negligible scientific data available on the issue of medicine quality in Pakistan. The anticipated number of 40-50% of poor-quality drugs in Pakistan cannot be defended by data available from the literature. Accessible technologies and strategies used in recent years at global level, especially in developing countries, were also reviewed and recommendations are devised for Pakistan to combat the fight against poor-quality medicines. CONCLUSION The case reports, investigations, and general data listed for Pakistan suggest the need of strengthening regulatory systems for premises and GMP inspections, analytical laboratories, as well as an overall capacity building in the field of unravelling and controlling substandard and falsified medicines. It is proposed that well-planned and properly funded studies need to be carried out for collecting critical statistics regarding the prevalence of substandard and falsified medicines in Pakistan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huma Rasheed
- Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Wuerzburg, am Hubland, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ludwig Hoellein
- Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Wuerzburg, am Hubland, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Khalid Saeed Bukhari
- USP Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM) Program, U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention, 12601 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852-1790 USA
| | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Wuerzburg, am Hubland, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
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Ciza PH, Sacre PY, Waffo C, Coïc L, Avohou H, Mbinze JK, Ngono R, Marini RD, Hubert P, Ziemons E. Comparing the qualitative performances of handheld NIR and Raman spectrophotometers for the detection of falsified pharmaceutical products. Talanta 2019; 202:469-478. [PMID: 31171209 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2019.04.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, the growth of the global pharmaceutical market has led to an overall increase of substandard and falsified drugs especially on the African market (or emerging countries). Recently, several methods using handheld/portable vibrational spectroscopy have been developed for rapid and on-field drug analysis. The objective of this work was to evaluate the performances of various NIR and Raman handheld spectrophotometers in specific brand identification of medicines through their primary packaging. Three groups of drug samples (artemether-lumefantrine, paracetamol and ibuprofen) were used in tablet or capsule forms. In order to perform a critical comparison, the analytical performances of the two analytical systems were compared statistically using three methods: hierarchical clustering algorithm (HCA), data-driven soft independent modelling of class analogy (DD-SIMCA) and hit quality index (HQI). The overall results show good detection abilities for NIR systems compared to Raman systems based on Matthews's correlation coefficients, generally close to one. Raman systems are less sensitive to the physical state of the samples than the NIR systems, it also suffers of the auto-fluorescence phenomenon and the signal of highly dosed active pharmaceutical ingredient (e.g. paracetamol or lumefantrine) may mask the signal of low-dosed and weaker Raman active compounds (e.g. artemether). Hence, Raman systems are less effective for specific product identification purposes but are interesting in the context of falsification because they allow a visual interpretation of the spectral signature (presence or absence of API).
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Affiliation(s)
- P H Ciza
- University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, VibraSante Hub, Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Liege, Belgium; University of Kinshasa, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, LACOMEDA, Lemba, 212 Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - P-Y Sacre
- University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, VibraSante Hub, Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Liege, Belgium.
| | - C Waffo
- University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, VibraSante Hub, Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Liege, Belgium; University of Yaoundé I, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and National Drug Control and Valuation (LANACOME), Cameroon
| | - L Coïc
- University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, VibraSante Hub, Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Liege, Belgium
| | - H Avohou
- University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, VibraSante Hub, Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Liege, Belgium
| | - J K Mbinze
- University of Kinshasa, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, LACOMEDA, Lemba, 212 Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - R Ngono
- University of Yaoundé I, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and National Drug Control and Valuation (LANACOME), Cameroon
| | - R D Marini
- University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, VibraSante Hub, Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Liege, Belgium
| | - Ph Hubert
- University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, VibraSante Hub, Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Liege, Belgium
| | - E Ziemons
- University of Liege (ULiege), CIRM, VibraSante Hub, Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Liege, Belgium
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Tetteh EK. Reducing avoidable medication-related harm: What will it take? Res Social Adm Pharm 2019; 15:827-840. [PMID: 30981449 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Consumption of quality-assured medicines is expected to maintain or improve population health. Yet in a number of situations, what is realized is lower health benefits or magnified safety risks. Recognizing the public health implications of safety risks or medication-related harm, and that some types of harm are avoidable, the World Health Organization has initiated the third Global Patient Safety challenge on Medication Safety. Under the term "Medication Without Harm", this Challenge aims to assess the scope and nature of avoidable medication-related harm, create a framework for intervention and develop national guidance and tools to support safer medication use. The global target under the Challenge is to reduce the level of severe avoidable medication-related harm by 50% over a five-year period or within the next five years. Given a higher morbidity and mortality due to medication-related harm in low-income countries, this paper evaluates what needs to be done in low-income countries in order to achieve the global target. The ideal solution advocated requires that health planners in each low-income country determine what fraction of safety risks or harm can be prevented; and the relationship between number or frequency of avoidable harm or safety risks and the resource costs of treatment or prevention. In the absence of such information, this paper discusses a number of prevention strategies that might help; arguing that the period over which avoidable medication-related harm can be reduced by 50% will depend on whether significant continuous investments in health-system strengthening are made prior to and within that period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebenezer Kwabena Tetteh
- Department of Pharmacy Practice & Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
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