Editorial: the need for locally developed formulations

No abstract

Editorial: Are generics equivalent to originator brands?

No abstract.&nbsp

Editorial : Post covid-19 reopening

No Abstract

Editorial: Pharmacists’ role in COVID-19 vaccination

No Abstract

Adulteration of herbal preparations

No Abstrac

Quality of Alcohol Based Hand Sanitizers Marketed in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers to the fore as a SARS-CoV-2 control measure. To be effective these products must comply with relevant quality parameters such as alcohol concentration, methanol limits and purity. The current study was designed to determine the quality of alcohol-based hand sanitizer products in the Nairobi metropolitan area. For this purpose, 74 commercially marketed samples were collected and subjected to analysis by gas chromatography. Only three samples (4.1%) complied with the regulatory specifications for alcohol content, methanol limits and pH. Five samples (6.8%) complied with the specification for alcohol content but did not meet methanol or pH limits. A total of 44 (59.5%) samples had methanol levels that exceeded threshold limits. Eleven samples (14.9%) were found with methanol substitution (i.e., methanol, instead of ethanol or isopropanol, was the main alcohol component). The results show that users of alcohol-based hand sanitizers are being exposed to substandard and falsified products which in addition to being non-efficacious pose harm due to unacceptable levels of toxic impurities. Regular, routine post-market surveillance is needed to prevent such products from reaching the market

A Survey of Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers in Nairobi: Packaging, Labelling and Regulatory Compliance

Alcohol based hand sanitizers are currently recommended for routine use in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The present survey examined hand sanitizers marketed in Nairobi County with regards to product appearance, packaging, labelling and declared composition. Seventy-six samples were collected from five sites within the Nairobi metropolis - Central Business District, Kibera, Kilimani/Karen, Ngong and Thika. A wide range of non-conformities were observed for the criteria applied. Many samples had incomplete or missing label information, ingredient lists, cautionary warnings, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) standardization marks and permit numbers. Glycerin, fragrances and carbomers were the most common added ingredients. Poor formulation indicators such as haziness and phase separation were encountered in some products. The median price of the products was KES 250 (USD 2.36) per 100 ml although there was considerable variation in pricing of samples. None of the samples evaluated fully met all the standards for the parameters evaluated. Strict adherence to regulatory standards by producers of hand sanitizers is required to ensure that only compliant products are available on the market. Keywords: Hand sanitizer, alcohol, labelling, coronavirus, product qualit

A High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for the Determination of Artemisinin in Artemisia annua L. Leaf Extracts

A simple, sensitive, accurate and precise high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for determination of artemisinin in crude plant material was developed and validated. Optimal separation of artemisinin from matrix components in the plant extracts was achieved using a Waters XTerra® RP18, 5 μm, 250 × 4.6 mm column, maintained at 40 °C, a mobile phase consisting of 0.05 M potassium phosphate buffer, pH 6.0 - acetonitrile (60:40) containing 5 mM hexane sulfonate in isocratic flow. The mobile phase flow rate was 1.0 ml/min while elution was monitored at 216 nm. The method satisfied the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) validation criteria for linearity, accuracy, precision and sensitivity. The developed method is applicable in routine quality control of Artemisia annua crude extracts. Key words: Artemisia annua, artemisinin content, crude extrac

The Relationship between Parenting Styles on Internet Usage among Adolescents

Parenting styles are known to have a powerful influence to children but this does not define whether the child is susceptible to the harmful effects of internet usageor not. Although adolescents are the biggest technology users, there is limitedliterature exploring the extent of their internet usage and its relationship to parentingstyle in the Philippines. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine therelationship of parenting styles to internet usage among adolescence. This crosssectional study was conducted to 105 respondents from a high school facility in Lipa City, Batangas. The participants were selected using purposive sampling. Respondents answered a self-constructed questionnaire which includes an internet checklist and parenting style questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation and Pearson correlation. The results revealed that] the extent of internet usage in terms of frequency and duration of the respondents has a mean of 5.70 (SD = 1.41) and mean of 3.97 (SD = 1.40), respectively. Moreover, uninvolved parenting style (p = .04) showed a low (r = .197) positive correlation with internet usagein terms of duration of internet use. There is no significant difference in the frequency of internet usage (p = .83) and in the duration of internet usage (p = .44) between male and female respondents.&nbsp

Quality Control Report of Drugs Analyzed in the Drug Analysis and Research Unit during the Period 2011-2015

During the period 2011-2015, the Drug Analysis and Research Unit (DARU) analyzed 1972 drug samples. The samples consisted of 21.5% locally manufactured and 78.2% imported products while the origin of 0.3% of products was indeterminate. Samples were subjected to compendial and/or in-house analytical specifications. The overall non-compliance rate was 4.5% comprising 2.5% local products and 2.0% imports. High failure rates were recorded for uterotonics (37.5%), hemostatics (33%), anthelmintics (17%) and anticancers (10.5%) while ophthalmic, immunomodulatory, musculoskeletal and endocrine drugs all complied with the quality acceptance criteria. Erectile dysfunction drugs, received by the laboratory for the first time, all complied with specifications. The results obtained demonstrate an improvement in the quality of samples submitted to DARU when compared to previous performance