Comparative assessment of physico-chemical properties of commercially available drug brands of Vitamin C tablets

Abstract

Pharmaceutical products such as tablets are paramount in developing and improving the health sector which steer the economy to a higher level. Over the years, the Ugandan public has developed a bias towards locally manufactured drugs preferring to consume international drug brands. This study aimed at investigating the physico-chemical propertiesof samples of both local and international brands of Vitamin C tablets on marketand establish through scientific data whether the quality and physico-chemical bioequivalence of the local brands is or not at par with the perceived better imported brands.Two locally manufactured brands and three international brand samples of Vitamin C tablets were purchased from different pharmacies and were analyzed using methods which include; physical, chemical and identification tests. Mechanical evaluation on weights, friability and hardness were carried out, quantitative tests such as Ascorbic Acid assays and qualitative tests on thin layer chromatography were done using international protocols. Using MS Excel, the obtained results were analyzed and all the samples under test gave results in the standard ranges as specified by British Pharmacopoeia (BP). The different Vitamin C drug brands showed variations in hardness, friability, weights as well as the composition mainly because different industries use different types and amounts of excipients according to their respective formulations. Based on the results, though they were limited to two locally manufactured brands, it is fair to say that the local brands are bioequivalent and are expected to exert the same therapeutic effect in treatment of ailments as the internationally perceived better brands.