Surveillance for falsified and substandard medicines in Africa and Asia by local organizations using the low-cost GPHF Minilab.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Substandard and falsified medical products present a serious threat to public health, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Their identification using pharmacopeial analysis is expensive and requires sophisticated equipment and highly trained personnel. Simple, low-cost technologies are required in addition to full pharmacopeial analysis in order to accomplish widespread routine surveillance for poor-quality medicines in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods

Ten faith-based drug supply organizations in seven countries of Africa and Asia were each equipped with a Minilab of the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF, Frankfurt, Germany), suitable for the analysis of about 85 different essential medicines by thin-layer chromatography. Each organization was as

SUBMITTER: Petersen A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5587284 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature