Authors: Hart, C.A.,1 & Briggs, W.1

1Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, University of Port Harcourt.

Background: Substandard and falsified medicines pose a significant risk to public health. This pilot study aimed to investigate the quality of amoxicillin-clavulanate, a widely used antibiotic, in community pharmacies in Port Harcourt.

Methods: Thirty samples were randomly purchased from community pharmacies across three Local Government Areas. Samples were subjected to visual inspection, weight uniformity, and disintegration tests based on pharmacopeial standards.

Results: 27 samples (90%) passed visual and weight uniformity tests. However, 5 samples (16.7%) failed the disintegration test, exceeding the specified time limit of 15 minutes, indicating potential substandard quality.

Conclusion: This pilot study suggests a non-negligible prevalence of substandard amoxicillin-clavulanate in the Port Harcourt drug market. A larger, more comprehensive study including chemical assay is urgently needed to confirm these findings and identify the root causes.

Keywords: Substandard Medicines, Antibiotics, Quality Control, Pharmacy Practice, Niger Delta.