Low Prevalence of Substandard and Falsified Antimalarial and Antibiotic Medicines in Public and Faith-Based Health Facilities of Southern Malawi.

ABSTRACT: AbstractSubstandard and falsified antimalarial and antibiotic medicines represent a serious problem for public health, especially in low- and middle-income countries. However, information on the prevalence of poor-quality medicines is limited. In the present study, samples of six antimalarial and six antibiotic medicines were collected from 31 health facilities and drug outlets in southern Malawi. Random sampling was used in the selection of health facilities. For sample collection, an overt approach was used in licensed facilities, and a mystery shopper approach in nonlicensed outlets. One hundred and fifty-five samples were analyzed by visual and physical examination and by rapid prescreening tests, that is, disintegration testing and thin-layer chromatography using the GPHF-Minilab. Fif

SUBMITTER: Khuluza F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5417205 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature