Availability and Prices of Antimalarials and Staffing Levels in Health Facilities in Embu County, Kenya

Effective treatment of malaria relies on the availability of quality medicines while pricing is a major determinant of affordability. In addition, adequate numbers of competent staff of different cadres is essential for a well-functioning health system and effective health service delivery. The aim of the study was to determine the availability and prices of antimalarial medicines as well as staffing levels in healthcare facilities located in Embu County, Kenya. Antimalarials were sampled from 11 public (government owned) facilities, 29 private pharmacies, 5 private-for-profit and 3 not-for-profit mission health facilities in May-June 2014. The majority of public facilities (91%) had artemether-lumefantrine (AL) tablets in stock. Government and mission facilities did not stock second line antimalarials or sulfonamide-pyrimethamine (SP). All public facilities provided antimalarials free-of-charge to patients. Private pharmacies stocked a wider variety of antimalarials. The facilities studied were stocked with recommended antimalarials both in the private and public domains. No oral artemisinin monotherapies were encountered during the study. Only 45% percent of public facilities employed pharmacists. Of the remaining facilities, 27% employed pharmaceutical technologists while in the rest of the facilities pharmaceuticals were in the custody of nurses. Notably, none of the private-for-profit or mission facilities had pharmacists employed in their establishments; one facility employed a pharmaceutical technologist, while the rest were staffed by nurses. The number of private pharmacies superintended by pharmacists and pharmaceutical technologists were 7 (24%) and 22 (76%), respectively.Key words: Antimalarials, artemisinin-based combination therapy, staffing level, Embu Count

Quantification of three macrolide antibiotics in pharmaceutical lots by HPLC: Development, validation and application to a simultaneous separation

A new validated high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with rapid analysis time and high efficiency, for the analysis of erythromycin, azithromycin and spiramycin, under isocratic conditions with ODB RP18 as a stationary phase is described. Using an eluent composed of acetonitrile –2-methyl-2-propanol –hydrogenphosphate buffer, pH 6.5, with 1.5% triethylamine (33:7: up to 100, v/v/v), delivered at a flow-rate of 1.0 mL min-1. Ultra Violet (UV) detection is performed at 210 nm. The selectivity is satisfactory enough and no problematic interfering peaks are observed. The procedure is quantitatively characterized and repeatability, linearity, detection and quantification limits are very satisfactory. The method is applied successfully for the assay of the studied drugs in pharmaceutical dosage forms as tablets and powder for oral suspension. Recovery experiments revealed recovery of 97.13–100.28%

Liquid chromatographic analysis of phenobarbitone, ethosuximide, phenytoin and carbamazepine on a polystyrene-divinyl benzene column

A liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous assay of four anticonvulsant drugs, phenobarbitone, ethosuximide, phenytoin and carbamazepine on a polystyrene-divinyl benzene column is described. The method was developed by the systematic study of different types of co-polymer materials, type and concentration of organic modifiers, buffer pH and concentration and column temperature. A PLRP-S 100 Å 8 µm column maintained at 60 oC and a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-tert-butanol-phosphate buffer (pH 7.6, 0.2 M)-water (25:5:10:60, v/v) were used. The flow rate was 1 ml/min with ultraviolet detection at 220 nm. The method has been validated and used for the analysis of raw materials, finished products and dissolution studies of the drugs. Keywords: Liquid chromatography, co-polymer column, phenobarbitone, ethosuximide, phenytoin, carbamazepine. The East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 8 (3) 2005: pp 19-2

Triterpenoids from the stem bark of Blighia unijugata bak. (sapindaceae)

Two pentacyclic triterpenoids were isolated, for the first time, from the stem bark of Blighia unijugata Bak. The structures of the two compounds were elucidated on the basis of their spectral data as friedelin and epifriedelinol.Keywords: triterpenoid, stem bark, Blighia unijugata, friedelin, epifriedelino

Steroidal Indoxyls: Evaluation of Pka Values and Anti-inflammatory Activity

Three steroidal indoxyls, 3-oxo-16,17-seco-16-nor-1,4-androstadien-15-(7\'-methoxy-2-indoxyliden)17-oic acid, 1-(2\'-indoxyliden)-2-nor-1,2-secocholestan-3-oic acid and 1-(5\'- chloro-2-indoxyliden)-2-nor-1,2-secocholestan-3-oic acid were synthesized and screened for anti-inflammatory activity. Their pKa values were also determined using a solubility method. The first compound, 3-oxo-16,17-seco-16-nor-1,4-androstadien-15-(7\'-methoxy-2-indoxyliden) 17-oic acid, had an ED50 value of 15.3 mg/kg and a pKa of 7.09. The cholestane derivative, 1-(2\'-indoxyliden)-2-nor-1,2-secocholestan-3-oic acid, and its chloro analogue 1-(5\'-chloro-2-indoxyliden)-2-nor-1,2-secocholestan-3-oic acid had ED50 values of 16.2 and 22.8 mg/kg, while their pKa values were 6.56 and 7.07, respectively, suggesting that these compounds are relatively weak acids. Keywords: Steroidal indoxyls, pKa values, anti-inflammatory The East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 9 (2) 2006: pp. 52-5