The East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Editorial: Strengthening the Local Pharmaceutical Industry: A Vital Pillar of Universal Health Coverage

Kennedy O Abuga — 2023-12-11

The desire for health and wellbeing has been a perpetual struggle for mankind since time immemorial. This doctrine derives from the recognition that effective healthcare requires proper infrastructure, adequate resources, quality medicines as well as trained and competent work force operating in a supportive sociopolitical framework. Health represents the epitome of basic human needs according to Maslow's matrix and is the proviso for robust economic, cultural, religious and political ecosystems. Over the past several millennia, socioeconomic disparities have defined healthcare with the nobles and gentry receiving extraordinary care while the masses lacked structured medical systems. History is replete with indicative metrics on infant mortality, impact of deadly epidemics/pandemics, life expectancy and human rights delineations that conspicuously demonstrate this distorted healthcare landscape. Royalty and nobility enjoyed physician, surgical, apothecary and nursing services beyond the reach of the commoners. For instance, the experimental use of chloroform (by inhalation) on Queen Victoria to allay labor pain in 1853, attained the royal seal of approval and established chloroform a la reine anesthetic.

Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers: Relevance of the Physicochemical Properties of Alcohol-Water Mixtures

Nasser N Nyamweya — 2023-11-09

The use of alcohol-water mixtures as antimicrobial agents for hand-hygiene grew significantly in the year 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Combining alcohols, such as ethanol or isopropanol, with water results in mixtures with a number of unusual characteristics with several solution properties deviating from ideal behavior. These characteristics are related to clustering or aggregation of the constituent molecules at the microscopic level. This paper reviews the physicochemical properties (polarity, density, viscosity, vapor pressure, surface tension) of alcohol-water mixtures and their relevance to alcohol-based hand sanitizers. The role of the quasi-surfactant characteristics (amphiphilism, surface and interfacial tension lowering) of alcohols in eliciting their antimicrobial effects is discussed.

A retrospective study of oral and dermatological formulations compounded via dosage form modifications at Kenyatta National Hospital from January 2020 to December 2021

Sharon W Wanyeki — 2023-11-16

The current study aimed to elucidate the extent of compounding involving dosage form modifications at Kenyatta National hospital from 2020-2021. A total of 2205 oral formulations, containing one out of thirty-eight active pharmaceutical ingredients, were compounded from commercially available tablets or capsules during the study period. The most frequently compounded oral formulations were furosemide (34.40%), spironolactone (25.72%), and sildenafil (9.40%) suspensions, which also accounted for the highest volumes produced. The study revealed that the total volume of oral formulations compounded was 161.4L, a marked rise from 38.4L compounded in the 2012-2013 period. Oral formulations were all prepared using 40% dextrose as diluent, packaged in amber colored plastic bottles and recommended for storage at 4-8°C. The majority of the formulations (71.29%) were assigned a beyond-use date of 14 days, in compliance to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP)recommendation. A total of 17 dermatological formulations, comprising either single-entity or dual combination of three active pharmaceutical ingredients, were prepared from commercially available powders or tablets during the two-year study period. The dermatologicals were reformulated as either ointments (with emulsifying ointment as diluent) or pastes (with white soft paraffin as base), packaged in white translucent plastic jars and recommended for storage at room temperature. Nifedipine paste accounted for the highest percentage by weight and frequency of the dermatological formulations. About 75.76% of the dermatological formulation were assigned a beyond-use date of 30 days, in compliance with the USP recommendation. The study revealed that extensive compounding, involving dosage form modifications, was carried out during the study period.

Formulation Design and in vitro Characterization of Gastroretentive Floating Acyclovir Tablets

Geoffrey K Kiriiri — 2023-11-20

Acyclovir is a thymidine kinase enzyme inhibitor used in the management of herpes zoster. Doses above 400mg exhibit poor bioavailability necessitating frequent administration to achieve the required therapeutic serum concentrations. This study aimed to design, formulate, and characterize floating tablets with enhanced bioavailability due to improved gastric retention time. The simplex lattice mixture design was employed to guide polymer proportions. Independent variables included polymers HPMC K100M, HPMC K4M, and Carbopol. The dependent variables were the floating lag time, total floating time and the cumulative drug release at 3, 6, and 8 hours, respectively. Formulation F2 exhibited the most desirable profile with a floating lag time and total floating time of 142 seconds and 14 hours, respectively and cumulative drug release at 3, 6, and 8 hours of 38.3%, 66.0% and 81.2 %, respectively. The findings indicate the feasibility of fabricating a commercially viable floating acyclovir tablet exhibiting extended gastric retention time and a controlled drug release profile.

Quality Assessment of Eucalyptus Oils Available in Nairobi County, Kenya

Faith Chelangat — 2023-11-24

This study assessed eucalyptus oil quality in Nairobi County, Kenya, a product that garnered global attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twelve Eucalyptus oil product samples were obtained from local retailers encompassing community pharmacies, supermarkets and health shops. Gas chromatography was utilized for the identification and assay of the primary component, Eucalyptol. Additionally, an evaluation of product attributes, including optical rotation, refractive index, and relative density, was performed on the samples. The examination also extended to product labels and packaging to ensure conformity with established standards. Seven samples adhered to the stipulated labelling and packaging criteria, while two failed the refractive index test, and nine did not meet the relative density specifications. All samples met the optical rotation acceptance criteria. Only one sample conformed to the prescribed content specifications. These findings shed light on the quality of eucalyptus oils and have public health and regulatory implications, particularly given their increased use during the COVID-19 pandemic.