E-drug: Drug Testing Laboratory (cont)
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Irfan Michael Roy,
A limited drug-testing laboratory, portable, is propagated by Medicus
Mundi International, a non-for-profit NGO, promoting basic and
sustainable health care facilities in developing countries, in the
context of PHC (WHO, Alma Ata 1978). The unit is called MINILAB,
developed and distributed by the german Medicus Mundi member Action
Medeor and the German Pharma Health Fund.
Sake Rypkema, Medicus Mundi International,
http://www.medicusmundi.org
mailto:medicusmundi@ngonet.be
possibilities for quality control
Counterfeit drugs present a special problem in developing countries
because, among other things, the possibilities for pharmaceutical
analysis (quality control) are absent. action medeor sees this as an
important facet of aid which follows a two-pronged approach. Firstly
action medeor participates in projects aimed at enabling those on
site to analyse drugs. Secondly, action medeor offers the opportunity
of having samples tested by contract analytical laboratories in those
cases where analysis is not possible in developing countries.
Quality control of drug samples from developing countries by external
analytical laboratories is conducted by HPLC (High Performance Liquid
Chromatography). The aim of developing this technique was to obtain
firm evidence for assessing drugs quickly and cheaply. The procedure
is suitable for a wide range of pharmaceuticals, i.e. for all those
that are detectable in UV and visible light. Today�s standard HPLC
instrument with gradient operation, autosampling, diode array
detectors and PC evaluation are used.
The stationary phase is an RP-18 column, the mobile phase consists of 2
components (buffer and acetonitrile), and is controlled by a gradient
program. Methanol is used as the solvent for the reference standard and
samples. The reference standards are usually proprietary medicinal
products from the German market.
To identify samples, the spectra and retention times of the peaks of the
standards and samples are compared. The results are quantified by
single-point calibration and a prepared sample. Internal standards are used
for evaluation.
THE MINILAB�
One project for enabling on-site analysis in developing countries is the
Minilab�.
For further information please contact:
Deutsches Medikamenten-Hilfswerk
action medeor e.V.
St. Toeniser Strasse 21
D- 47918 Toenisvorst
Tel.: + 2156 97880
Fax.: + 2156 80632
http://www.medeor.org
E-mail: Info@medeor.org
[For details about the MINILAB� , how it works and training, please
contact Deutsches Medikamenten-Hilfswerk action medeor directly at
the above address. BS]
[Information provided by "Sake Rijpkema" <rypkemas@wxs.nl>. Please
supply address and affiliation. BS]
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