Analysis of Brands of Glibenclamide Tablets in Lagos Market

Abstract

Glibenclamide is an oral antidiabetic drug which belongs to the second generation of
sulfonulureas. It is an insulin secretagogue used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Use of
substandard products may lead to poor blood glucose control and life threatening complications. The aim of
this study was to analyze different brands of glibenclamidetablets for quality in terms of content of active
ingredients and some physicochemical parameters. Nine brands of glibenclamide tablets were sourced from
various pharmacy retail outlets in Lagos and subjected to chemical assay by HPLC method. Various
physical tests including uniformity of weight, hardness, friability and disintegration time were also carried
out. The results indicate that 78% of the samples show compliance with the British Pharmacopoeia (BP)
standards for content of active ingredients. All the samples passed the tests for uniformity of weight and
disintegration time but failure rate of 11% was recorded for both friability and tablet hardness tests. It is
recommended that routine quality surveillance systems be established by drug regulatory bodies to monitor
drug quality at all levels of the distribution chain to ensure product quality and consumer safety.