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Paper test cards for presumptive testing of very low quality antimalarial medications.

ABSTRACT: Carrying out chemical analysis of antimalarials to detect low-quality medications before they reach a patient is a costly venture. Here, we show that a library of chemical color tests embedded on a paper card can presumptively identify formulations corresponding to very low quality antimalarial drugs. The presence or absence of chloroquine (CQ), doxycycline (DOX), quinine, sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine, and primaquine antimalarial medications, in addition to fillers used in low-quality pharmaceuticals, are indicated by patterns of colors that are generated on the test cards. Test card sensitivity for detection of these pure components ranges from 90% to 100% with no false positives in the absence of pharmaceutical. The color intensities from reactions characteristic of CQ or DOX allowed visual detection of formulations of these medications cut with 60% or 100% filler, although samples cut with 30% filler could not be reliably detected colorimetrically. However, the addition of unexpected fillers, even in 30% quantities, or substitute pharmaceuticals, could sometimes be detected by other color reactions on the test cards. Tests are simple and inexpensive enough to be carried out in clinics, pharmacies, and ports of entry and could provide a screening method to presumptively indicate very low quality medicines throughout the supply chain.

SUBMITTER: Weaver AA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4455083 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Paper test cards for presumptive testing of very low quality antimalarial medications.

Weaver Abigail A AA Lieberman Marya M

The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 20150420 6 Suppl

Carrying out chemical analysis of antimalarials to detect low-quality medications before they reach a patient is a costly venture. Here, we show that a library of chemical color tests embedded on a paper card can presumptively identify formulations corresponding to very low quality antimalarial drugs. The presence or absence of chloroquine (CQ), doxycycline (DOX), quinine, sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine, and primaquine antimalarial medications, in addition to fillers used in low-quality pharmaceutic ...[more]

PMID: 25897064

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Project description:SignificanceThe Ohio Contrast Cards are a repeatable test of contrast sensitivity, and they reveal higher contrast sensitivity for low-vision patients than is shown by the Pelli-Robson chart.PurposeThis study aimed to compare the contrast sensitivity results and test/retest ±limits of agreement for the Ohio Contrast Cards and the Pelli-Robson letter contrast sensitivity chart on two challenging groups of participants, and to compare the Ohio Contrast Card results with grating acuity and the Pelli-Robson results with letter acuity.MethodsThe Ohio Contrast Card and Pelli-Robson tests were each performed twice by two different examiners within one visit on 40 elder patients in Primary Vision Care (>65 years old) and 23 to 27 low-vision school-aged students. Grating acuity was measured using the Teller Acuity Cards (all participants), and letter acuity was measured using ClearChart (elders) or the Bailey-Lovie chart (students).ResultsThe ±95% limits of agreement were similar for the Ohio Contrast Cards and the Pelli-Robson chart. The elders' limits of agreement were ±0.27 (Ohio Contrast Cards) and ±0.28 (Pelli-Robson); the students' limits of agreement were ±0.42 (Ohio Contrast Cards) and ±0.51 (Pelli-Robson). However, Ohio Contrast Card results were 0.41 log10 Michelson units more sensitive than the Pelli-Robson chart (over one line on the Pelli-Robson chart) for the elders and 0.90 log10 Michelson units (three lines on the Pelli-Robson chart) more sensitive for the elders (0.11 and 0.6 log10 Weber units, respectively). The Pelli-Robson results were correlated with letter acuities and Ohio Contrast Card results for both groups, and the Ohio Contrast Card results were correlated with Teller Acuity Card acuities for the elders.ConclusionsThe Ohio Contrast Cards and Pelli-Robson chart are similarly repeatable. Both contrast sensitivity tests can provide additional clinical information that is not available through visual acuity testing, and Ohio Contrast Card may provide additional information not available from the Pelli-Robson chart.

Project description:We developed a clinical prediction rule score to predict medication non-adherence for women prescribed osteoporosis treatment. When combined into a summative score, 62% with seven or more points on the score demonstrated very low adherence. This compares with 17% subjects with fewer than seven points (c-statistic = 0.74).Medication non-adherence is extremely common for osteoporosis; however, no clear methods exist for identifying patients at risk of this behavior. We developed a clinical prediction rule to predict medication non-adherence for women prescribed osteoporosis treatment.Women undergoing bone mineral density testing and fulfilling WHO criteria for osteoporosis were invited to complete a questionnaire and then followed for 1 year. Adjusted logistic regression models were examined to identify variables associated with very low adherence (medication possession ratio <20%). The weighted variables, based on the logistic regression, were summed, and the score was compared with the proportion of subjects with very low adherence.One hundred forty two women participated in the questionnaire and were prescribed an osteoporosis medication. After 1 year, 36% (n = 50) had very low adherence. Variables associated with very low adherence included prior non-adherence with chronic medications, agreement that side effects are concerning, agreement that she is taking too many medications, lack of agreement that osteoporosis is a worry, lack of agreement that a fracture will cause disability, lack of agreement that medications help her stay active, and frequent use of alcohol. When combined into a summative score, 36 of the 58 subjects (62%) with seven or more points on the score demonstrated very low adherence. This compares with 14 of the 84 (17%) subjects with fewer than seven points (c-statistic = 0.74).We developed a brief clinical prediction rule that was able to discriminate between women likely (and unlikely) to experience very low adherence with osteoporosis medications.

Dataset Information

Paper test cards for presumptive testing of very low quality antimalarial medications.

Publications

Paper test cards for presumptive testing of very low quality antimalarial medications.

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