Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28588941›Full record

ArticleBMJ global health2016

Physicochemical equivalence of generic antihypertensive medicines (EQUIMEDS): protocol for a quality of medicines assessment.

Julie Redfern, Rufus Adesoji Adedoyin, Sandra Ofori, Raghupathy Anchala, Vamadevan S Ajay, Luciano De Andrade, Jose Zelaya, Harparkash Kaur, Dina Balabanova, Mahmoud U Sani

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ global health, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 8 institutions in 6 countries.

Julie RedfernThe George Institute for Global Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Rufus Adesoji AdedoyinDepartment of Medical Rehabilitation, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Sandra OforiDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Port Harcourt and University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Raghupathy AnchalaDepartment of Epidemiology, Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad, India.
Vamadevan S AjayPublic Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Gurgaon, Haryana, India.
Luciano De AndradeDepartment of Medicine, State University of Maringa, University Hospital, Maringá, Brazil.
Jose ZelayaPeruvian Society of Hypertension, Lima, Peru.
Harparkash KaurLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Dina BalabanovaDepartment of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Mahmoud U SaniDepartment of Medicine, Bayero University Kano & Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Kano State, Nigeria.
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBPublic Health Foundation of India · INBayero University Kano · NGCentro Peruano de Estudios Sociales · PEObafemi Awolowo University · NGUniversidade Estadual de Maringá · BRUniversity of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital · NGUniversity of Sydney · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrevention and optimal management of hypertension in the general population is paramount to the achievement of the World Heart Federation (WHF) goal of reducing premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality by 25% by the year 2025 and widespread access to good quality antihypertensive medicines is a critical component for achieving the goal. Despite research and evidence relating to other medicines such as antimalarials and antibiotics, there is very little known about the quality of generic antihypertensive medicines in low-income and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical equivalence (percentage of active pharmaceutical ingredient, API) of generic antihypertensive medicines available in the retail market of a developing country.

methodsAn observational design will be adopted, which includes literature search, landscape assessment, collection and analysis of medicine samples. To determine physicochemical equivalence, a multistage sampling process will be used, including (1) identification of the 2 most commonly prescribed classes of antihypertensive medicines prescribed in Nigeria; (2) identification of a random sample of 10 generics from within each of the 2 most commonly prescribed classes; (3) a geographical representative sampling process to identify a random sample of 24 retail outlets in Nigeria; (4) representative sample purchasing, processing to assess the quality of medicines, storage and transport; and (5) assessment of the physical and chemical equivalence of the collected samples compared to the API in the relevant class. In total, 20 samples from each of 24 pharmacies will be tested (total of 480 samples). DISCUSSION: Availability of and access to quality antihypertensive medicines globally is therefore a vital strategy needed to achieve the WHF 25×25 targets. However, there is currently a scarcity of knowledge about the quality of antihypertensive medicines available in developing countries. Such information is important for enforcing and for ensuring the quality of antihypertensive medicines.

Identifiers

PMID28588941
PMCPMC5321342
OpenAlexW2525370347

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.