Qualidade de medicamentos isentos de prescrição: um estudo com marcas de dipirona comercializadas em uma drogaria de Cascavel (PR, Brasil) Quality of over-the-counter medicines: a study with dipyrone brands commercialized in a drugstore in Cascavel city (Paraná, Brazil)

A dipirona é um fármaco muito utilizado pela população brasileira. É considerado seguro mesmo em gestantes, lactentes e crianças, mas é proibido em alguns países do mundo pelo suposto papel de causar agranulocitose e anemia aplástica. Em 2001, a Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (Anvisa) considerou que os medicamentos com esse fármaco apresentavam bom risco-benefício em relação a outros de indicação semelhante. Porém, de nada adianta segurança no uso de um medicamento se este é de baixa qualidade. É comum encontrar no mercado brasileiro medicamentos fora dos padrões, o que se constitui em um risco para a população em geral. Dessa forma, foram analisadas sete amostras de marcas diferentes de dipirona solução oral comercializados em uma farmácia de Cascavel (PR). Os resultados demonstram que a fiscalização quanto à qualidade de medicamentos similares precisa ser aprimorada, pois eles foram os que mais apresentaram desvios de qualidade.<br>Dipyrone is an antipyretic and analgesic medicine very used by the Brazilian population. The administration is considered safe even in pregnant women, nurseling and children, but is forbidden in some countries, as supposedly causes agranulocytosis and aplastic anemia. In 2001, National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) approved the commercialization of this medicine in Brazil. However, it does not matter the safeness in the use of a medicine advances, if it does not have quality. Based on this quality, this work was elaborated, that analyzes seven samples of commercialized different marks of dipyrone oral solution in pharmaceutical establishment in the Cascavel city, Paraná, Brazil. The results demonstrate that the quality control of similar drugs must be improved as were the ones that presented quality deviations

Compressional Behavior of a Mixture of Granules Containing High Load of Phyllanthus niruri Spray-Dried Extract and Granules of Adjuvants: Comparison between Eccentric and Rotary Tablet Machines

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the compressional behavior of granules containing high load of a Phyllanthus niruri spray-dried extract in eccentric (ETM) and rotary (RTM) tablet presses. Tablets were constituted by spray-dried extract granules (SDEG, 92%), excipient granules (EXCG, 7.92%), and magnesium stearate (0.08%). SDEG was obtained by dry granulation and EXCG, composed of microcrystalline cellulose (62.9%) and sodium starch glycolate (37.1%), by wet granulation. Particle size distribution was fixed between 0.250 and 0.850 mm. Tablets did not evidence any mechanical failures, such as lamination or capping, or anomalous weight variation in either tablet machine types. Upper and lower tablet surface photomicrographs from ETM and RTM tablets showed differences in porosity and texture. Different RTM speeds suggested the visco-plastic behavior of the formulation, since, by slowing down rotation speeds, the tensile strength of the tablets increased significantly, but the porosity and disintegration time were not affected. Tablets produced in RTM showed lower friability and porosity than ETM tablets, which did not reflect on higher tensile strength. The EXCG distribution at upper and lower surfaces from ETM and RTM tablets was quantified by image analysis and evaluated through statistical methods. Spray-dried extract release was not influenced by the type of equipment or operational conditions to which the compacts were submitted. Construction and operation differences between both tablet presses influenced the final product, since tablets with similar tensile strength, made by distinct tablet machines, exhibited different quality parameters