ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to assess the availability of 42 children’s essential medicines contained in the Standard Treatment Guidelines (STG) of Ghana in the 27 districts of Ashanti Region. Five hundred medicine outlets comprising of hospitals/health centers/clinics, community pharmacies and chemical shops were surveyed using a validated structured questionnaire. The results were analysed and the availability of the 42 medicines in each district was determined. The average availability of children’s medicines across the region was 41.3% (range: 26.4-52%), with the Kumasi Metropolis (KM) and Bosome Freho (BF) district having the highest and lowest availabilities, respectively. Six (14.3%) of the medicines, omeprazole, tinidazole, furosemide and spironolactone suspensions, and praziquantel and thiabendazole syrups had zero availability in the Region while ferrous sulphate syrup (95%), albendazole suspension (90%) and paracetamol syrup (88.8%) had the highest availabilities. Three hundred and twenty three different formulations of the 42 medicines were identified with foreign and local manufacturers accounting for 198 (61.3%) and 125 (38.7%) formulations, respectively. India (38.7%) and United Kingdom (35.5%) were the major foreign manufacturers. The duration of stock-outs was shorter for private than public/government facilities and generally ranged from up to one week (68.4 %) to over one month (3%). Reasons for the low or non-availability of children’s medicines included the lack of funds, non-prescription by physicians, unavailability of medicines at wholesalers and lack of awareness of medicine outlets staff.
ABSTRACT
Aqueous extracts of Roselle or Hibiscus sabdariffa L calyces have characteristic intense red colouration due to the presence of anthocyanins which could be utilised as colouring agent in pharmaceutical products. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the potential of aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa calyces as a colouring agent in three pediatric oral pharmaceutical formulations. The colour value of H. sabdariffa calyx extract was determined colorimetrically at λmax 540 nm to be within the BP range of ≥ 0.25. The colour value of H. sabdariffa (0.26) was lower than that of amaranth (0.46), a synthetic commercial pharmaceutical colourant. H. sabdariffa calyx extract retained its colour value within the BP standard for up to six months. The aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa calyces at 33 % w/v was used as colouring agent in paracetamol syrup, diphenhydramine syrup and pediatric cough linctus and the colour stability of the formulations against temperature, light and pH were determined. H. sabdariffa calyx extract was less stable than amaranth to temperature, light and pH when used as a colouring agent. H. sabdariffa calyx extract at 33 % w/v has potential as a colouring agent in pharmaceutical formulations when buffered at pH 5.0, packaged in amber bottles and stored at low temperatures (26-37 °C).