[e-drug] Storage of drugs matters: Do you need research to prove?

[George Kibumba <did.jms@imul.com>]

E-drug: Storage of drugs matters: Do you need research to prove?
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Dear Friends,

With absolute disbelief I heard the opinion that storing medicines is
much less important than manufacturing them. That is, in relation to
quality of medicines. 'Research' should have unearthed this 'fact.'
As always, I like research on topics where facts are lacking. But, a
lot of dangerous 'research' findings are causing changes in policies.
After a while, dangerous and irreversible things happen. 

Now, back to our storage, stability and quality of drugs. The
conclusion that storage of medicines does not adversely affect their
quality in the same way as manufacturing does, is a poor one.

Like manufacturing, storage influences the quality of drugs. But, of
course, if the manufacturing process is poor, don't expect good
quality. If storage is poor, expect deterioration of a good quality
drug. 

Deterioration of chemicals can result in useless drugs, harmful
drugs, or both. Somebody may ask: How many people have you
seen complaining of toxicity due to expired drugs? You ask back:
Are you able to monitor people taking drugs, which expire before
their expiry dates or even thereafter? That is to say, give and do
what is right. Why do you hand over lives of people to probabilities!

I will take examples at this stage: Once exposed to poor storage,
paracetamol and nitroglycerine, insulin and aspirin, cephalosporins
and penicillins-have chemical structures which are easy to
disorganise. In general, drugs in dosage forms like, powders for
injection and powders for suspension are quite unstable to poor
storage. Dosage forms like suppositories and pessaries will be
dismantled by poor storage. Those are just examples.
 
If you put all the above facts together, institutions and
organisations require precise and concise storage instructions for
drugs. Institutions who care require special drug stores or
warehouses. Such Institutions restrict medicine possession to
licensed sellers. And patients receive small packs or get a few
doses at a go, to cover a reasonable period as storage conditions at
home may be poor. 

Conclusion: It is important to have in-put, from active and
knowledgeable professionals, before spending money on major
research seeking to change policies. If not, Africa will take much
more time to develop! Please, storage of medicines affects their
quality. 

Sincerely, 

George Kibumba, MPS
Drug Information Pharmacist
Drug Information Desk
Joint Medical Store
P.O.Box 4501, Kampala, Uganda
e-mail: did.jms@imul.com
Tel: +256-41-268482
fax: +256-41-267298


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