EVALUATION OF ORO-DISPERSIBLE TABLETS (ARTEMETHER- LUMEFANTRINE AND AMOXICILLIN TRIHYDRATE) USED FOR SOME COMMON CHILDHOOD DISEASES (MALARIA AND PHEUMONIA)

EzegbeChekwube Andrew; Ezegbe Amarachi Grace; Boniface Christian Izuchukwu; Okorafor Ezinne Chinemerem; Godswill Onunkwo

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v7i4.812

EzegbeChekwube Andrew Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria.
Ezegbe Amarachi Grace Department of Home Science and Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State. 3Department of Pharmacy, Federal Medical Center, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
Boniface Christian Izuchukwu Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria.
Okorafor Ezinne Chinemerem Department of Pharmacy, Federal Medical Center, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
Godswill Onunkwo Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria.

10.22270/ujpr.v7i4.812

Keywords:

Artemether-lumefantrine, Amoxicillin trihydrate, Oro-dispersible tablets, Malaria, Pneumonia

Abstract

Background: Generic substitution of a brand of medicine for others, with the hope that they have the same therapeutic effect is difficult for health care providers and consumers.

Aim: This study was able to evaluate the authenticity of label claim of eight samples of artemether-lumefantrine and two samples of amoxicillin trihydrate tablets available at Ogige market Nsukka and Ogbete main market, Enugu.

Method: The following tests were carried out; hardness, friability, modified disintegration time, wetting time, water absorption ratio and weight uniformity. The compliance of each sample to the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) requirements were recorded.

Results: The friability test showed that all the tablets passed the test with less than 1% friability loss. The mean hardness ranged from 1.65±0.47 to 5.35±0.67 kgf for artemether-lumefantrine tablets, while that of amoxicillin trihydrate tablets ranged from 4.00±0.93 to 6.10±0.91 kgf respectively. The tablet diameter and mean thickness of artemether-lumefantrine tablets ranged from 9.00±1.53 to 11.00±1.0 mm and 2.00±1.15 to 4.00±1.53 mm respectively, while that of amoxicillin trihydrate ranged from 8.00± 0.9 to 10.00±1.0mm and 3.00±2.08 to 4.00±1.53mm respectively. The disintegration time of artemether-lumefantrine tablets ranged from 1.50±0.1 to 3.52±0.01 min and 2.06±0.02 to 3.30±0.03 min for amoxicillin trihydrate respectively. The study discovered that several generic brands of artemether-lumefantrine and amoxicillin trihydrate tablets in Nigeria could be sub-standard products.