Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Detecting Counterfeit Anti-Malarials Through Comparison Between High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography And Other Methods Of Analysis, Andrea Irby

Theses & Honors Papers

Counterfeit pharmaceuticals are an increasing trend in the world of criminal activity because the business of making fake pharmaceuticals is highly profitable. The scientific community needs to develop clear-cut methods of detection for counterfeit pharmaceuticals because this is an issue that affects human health and because the use of prescription drugs is so prevalent. This study used high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and fluorescence spectroscopy to produce qualitative and quantitative data about quinine, mefloquine and choloroquine. These were studied because they are common anti-malarial drugs used in developing nations and they are often counterfeited. Tablet mixtures meant to replicate pharmaceutical tablets …