CHEMICAL EVALUATION OF SULFAMETHOXAZOLE IN SOME BRANDS OF CO-TRIMOXAZOLE TABLETS

Abstract

The chemical equivalence and bioequivalence of antibiotics play an important role in their quality assurance. Pharmaceutical equivalence medicinal products have the same amount of the same active ingredient(s) in the same dosage forms that meet the same standard. The chemical equivalence of sulfamethoxazole contents in six brands of co-trimoxazole tablets in Pharmacy stores in Sagamu community was evaluated to determine their level of compliance to the official monograph requirements by spectrophotometric method. of analysis. The result of the study showed that the samples A to F had 128.4%, 105.7%,, 93.16%, 95.68%, 116.9% and 50.4% content of sulfamethoxazole respectively.There were significant differences (P≤ 0.05) among the several brands of co-trimoxazole tablets and only three (3) brands of the samples conformed to the British Pharmacopeia (B.P) ( 92.5% - 105%) specified content of sulfamethoxazole in dosage forms. This bring to fore the need for the drug control agencies to constitute a surveillance groups to monitor the quality of medicines in Nigeria market in order to prevent human and economic waste associated with fake and adulterated medicines.