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Paper Test Cards for Presumptive Testing of Very Low Quality Antimalarial Medications
- Source :
- The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Publication Year :
- 2015
- Publisher :
- American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2015.
-
Abstract
- Carrying out chemical analysis of antimalarials to detect low-quality medications before they reach a patient is a costly venture. Here, we show that a library of chemical color tests embedded on a paper card can presumptively identify formulations corresponding to very low quality antimalarial drugs. The presence or absence of chloroquine (CQ), doxycycline (DOX), quinine, sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine, and primaquine antimalarial medications, in addition to fillers used in low-quality pharmaceuticals, are indicated by patterns of colors that are generated on the test cards. Test card sensitivity for detection of these pure components ranges from 90% to 100% with no false positives in the absence of pharmaceutical. The color intensities from reactions characteristic of CQ or DOX allowed visual detection of formulations of these medications cut with 60% or 100% filler, although samples cut with 30% filler could not be reliably detected colorimetrically. However, the addition of unexpected fillers, even in 30% quantities, or substitute pharmaceuticals, could sometimes be detected by other color reactions on the test cards. Tests are simple and inexpensive enough to be carried out in clinics, pharmacies, and ports of entry and could provide a screening method to presumptively indicate very low quality medicines throughout the supply chain.
- Subjects :
- Paper
Quality Control
Filler (packaging)
Primaquine
Sulfadoxine
medicine.medical_treatment
030231 tropical medicine
Pharmacology
Sensitivity and Specificity
01 natural sciences
Antimalarials
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Test card
Virology
False positive paradox
Medicine
False Positive Reactions
Laboratory Innovations
Developing Countries
Reagent Strips
Quinine
Traditional medicine
business.industry
010401 analytical chemistry
Reproducibility of Results
3. Good health
0104 chemical sciences
Infectious Diseases
Pyrimethamine
Counterfeit Drugs
Colorimetry
Parasitology
business
medicine.drug
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14761645 and 00029637
- Volume :
- 92
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....726065aaa6ff92d9d63fdb4134cc809e