Chemical analysis and antibacterial susceptibility of some brands of amoxicillin suspension marketed in Sagamu, Ogun, Nigeria

Abstract

AbstractPoor quality medicines present a serious public health concern and have a significant impact on national clinical and economic burden. This study was carried out for comparative quality assessment of different brands of amoxicillin suspension in Sagamu community in Nigeria to determine their suitability for the therapeutic purpose. Ten brands of 125 mg/5 mL amoxicillin suspension, marketed in Sagamu community pharmacies were procured and subjected to chemical analysis using the high‐performance liquid chromatography method according to the official procedures in United State Pharmacopoeia (USP) and the microbiological analysis on different clinical isolates which include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pyogene, and Staphylococcus aureus using agar disc diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The results of the high‐performance liquid chromatography revealed the percentage content of the brands A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J to be 97.39%, 57.078%, 91.565%, 98.137%, 61.694%, 103.337%, 91.454%, 106.683%, 75.109%, and 96.895% w/v, respectively. The result of the high‐performance liquid chromatography reveals the brands (A, C, D, F, G, H, and J) had a percentage within the required range and were deemed unsuitable for therapeutic use. In the microbiological analysis, all the brands passed the antibacterial susceptibility testing except for brand (B, E, and I) which were not susceptible to S. aureus due to their zone of inhibition being less than 15 mm. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of quality assurance in the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that only high‐quality drugs are made available to the population for optimal therapeutic benefit.