Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Chronicle Writer
THE Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has embraced cutting edge portable technology to combat substandard and falsified medicines that continue to be of serious concern.
The authority is now using hand-held Raman and Near-Infrared (NIR) spectrometers to rapidly verify the authenticity of medicines without opening packaging or sending samples to a laboratory.
“Substandard and falsified (SF) medicines remain a critical public health concern, but MCAZ is leveraging cutting-edge portable technology to strengthen frontline defences. Hand-held Raman and Near-Infrared (NIR) spectrometers are now being used to rapidly verify the authenticity of medicines — without opening packaging or sending samples to a laboratory,” said the authority.
Raman spectrometers use laser light to generate a unique chemical “fingerprint” of a drug, while NIR spectrometers analyse its internal structure using near-infrared light.
“These compact tools deliver fast, reliable results in minutes, are easy to operate in the field, and are already proving invaluable at pharmacies, clinics, and border checkpoints,” said the Authority.
By integrating these technologies into its quality surveillance efforts, MCAZ is striving to ensure that only safe, effective medicines reach the public.
Last month MCAZ issued a warning to the public, healthcare professionals, pharmacies, wholesalers and healthcare institutions regarding the illegal distribution of falsified Cloxacillin 250mg capsules on the local market.
Cloxacillin is an antibiotic agent used for the treatment of beta-haemolytic streptococcal and pneumococcal infections as well as staphylococcal infections.
In a statement, the Director General of MCAZ Mr Richard Rukwata, said the medicine is being distributed by unidentified sources, with Gartats Investments flagged as one of the companies involved in the circulation of the falsified product.
He said Cloxacillin is noticeably seen through the genuine medication manufactured by Varichem Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd saying the difference between the fake and the original is the label appearance.
The counterfeit version has sharp-cornered brown labels, while the original Varichem product comes with rounded, orange-coloured labels.
Also, he said falsified capsules are unmarked, whereas the authentic capsules are printed with “V-CLOX 250.”
The genuine Cloxacillin is sealed with aluminium foil, a critical feature absent in the counterfeit product.
The Authority called on all licensed pharmacies, wholesalers, public and private healthcare institutions to quarantine any suspected falsified Cloxacillin capsules in their possession.
It further assured the public that it was actively working with the law enforcement agencies and stakeholders within the pharmaceutical supply chain to track and remove counterfeit medicines from circulation.
Bongani Ndlovu