Counterfeit drug detection: effectiveness of qualitative testing methods inidentifying falsified medications

Abstract

The proliferation of counterfeit medicines poses a significant public health threat,particularly in low-resource settings where regulatory oversight may be limited. This studyinvestigates the effectiveness of qualitative testing methods for detecting counterfeit drugsstocked in pharmacies. A total of 150 drug samples, including commonly prescribedmedications for hypertension, diabetes, infections, and malaria, were collected from 10pharmacies across urban and rural areas in Uyo metropolis. The samples underwent a seriesof qualitative tests, including Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), Fourier TransformInfrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), colorimetric reactions, visual inspection, and dissolutiontesting. Out of the 150 samples, 25 (16.67%) were identified as counterfeit, based ondiscrepancies in chemical composition, physical appearance, and dissolution profiles. TLCand FTIR proved the most effective in detecting chemical composition discrepancies,identifying counterfeit drugs in 48% and 40% of cases, respectively. Colorimetric reactionsand visual inspection were effective for some antibiotics but identified fewer counterfeitsamples. Dissolution testing was successful in detecting drugs with altered release profiles.The study also assessed the feasibility of implementing these testing methods in routinepharmacy practice, highlighting the cost and training requirements of more advancedtechniques like FTIR and dissolution testing. The results suggest that while TLC andcolorimetric reactions are practical and cost-effective tools for counterfeit detection, furtherefforts are needed to improve accessibility and training for more advanced testing methods.This study underscores the importance of incorporating multiple testing strategies tosafeguard against counterfeit medicines and enhance the quality of pharmaceutical care.