MyMedR

Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 23 in total

Abstract:

Sort:

Performance of the rural health improvement scheme in reducing the incidence of waterborne diseases in rural Sarawak, Malaysia

Liew KB, Lepesteur M

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2006 Oct;100(10):949-55.
PMID: 16730364 DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2005.11.018

This study evaluates and discusses the impact of the rural health improvement scheme in reducing the incidence of dysentery, enteric fever, cholera and viral hepatitis in Sarawak, Malaysia, using data compiled from state and federal health department reports. This study suggests that from 1963 to 2002, water supply intervention contributed to a more than 200-fold decrease in dysentery and a 60-fold decrease in enteric fever. Variations in reporting of viral hepatitis during that period make it difficult to detect a trend. Cholera was still endemic in 2002. Cholera and dysentery outbreaks, occurring when rural populations relied on contaminated rivers for their water supply, suggested that sanitation intervention was not as effective in reducing waterborne diseases. Recommendations are made for successive one-component interventions focusing on catchment management to ensure protection of current and alternative water supplies.
Stability indicating HPLC method for simultaneous quantification of sildenafil citrate and dapoxetine hydrochloride in Pharmaceutical products

Liew KB, Peh KK

Pak J Pharm Sci, 2018 Nov;31(6):2515-2522.
PMID: 30473526

A stability-indicating HPLC-UV method for the simultaneous determination of sildenafil citrate and dapoxetine hydrochloride in solution and tablet was developed. The mobile phase was comprised of acetonitrile and 0.2M ammonium acetate buffer. The analyte was eluted at 3.392min and 7.255min for sildenafil citrate and dapoxetine HCl respectively using gradient system at a flow rate of 1.5mL/min. The theoretical plates count was>2000, tailing factor
Investigation on the effect of polymer and starch on the tablet properties of lyophilized orally disintegrating tablet

Liew KB, Peh KK

Arch Pharm Res, 2021 Aug;44(8):1-10.
PMID: 25579848 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-014-0542-y

Orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) is a user friendly and convenient dosage form. The study aimed to investigate the effect of polymers and wheat starch on the tablet properties of lyophilized ODT, with dapoxetine as model drug. Three polymers (hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, carbopol 934P and Eudragit® EPO) and wheat starch were used as matrix forming materials in preparation of lyophilized ODT. The polymeric dispersion was casted into a mould and kept in a freezer at -20 °C for 4 h before freeze dried for 12 h. It was found that increasing in HPMC and Carbopol 934P concentrations produced tablets with higher hardness and longer disintegration time. In contrast, Eudragit® EPO was unable to form tablet with sufficient hardness at various concentrations. Moreover, HPMC seems to have a stronger effect on tablet hardness compared to Carbopol 934P at the same concentration level. ODT of less friable was obtained. Wheat starch acted as binder which strengthen the hardness of ODTs and prolonged the disintegration time. ODT comprising of HPMC and wheat starch at ratio of 2:1 was found to be optimum based upon the tablet properties. The optimum formulation was palatable and 80 % of the drug was released within 30 min in the dissolution study.
Application of freeze-drying technology in manufacturing orally disintegrating films

Liew KB, Odeniyi MA, Peh KK

Pharm Dev Technol, 2016;21(3):346-53.
PMID: 25597618 DOI: 10.3109/10837450.2014.1003657

Freeze drying technology has not been maximized and reported in manufacturing orally disintegrating films. The aim of this study was to explore the freeze drying technology in the formulation of sildenafil orally disintegrating films and compare the physical properties with heat-dried orally disintegrating film. Central composite design was used to investigate the effects of three factors, namely concentration of carbopol, wheat starch and polyethylene glycol 400 on the tensile strength and disintegration time of the film. Heat-dried films had higher tensile strength than films prepared using freeze-dried method. For folding endurance, freeze-dried films showed improved endurance than heat-dried films. Moreover, films prepared using freeze-dried methods were thicker and had faster disintegration time. Formulations with higher amount of carbopol and starch showed higher tensile strength and thickness whereas formulations with higher PEG 400 content showed better flexibility. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the freeze-dried films had more porous structure compared to the heat-dried film as a result of the release of water molecule from the frozen structure when it was subjected to freeze drying process. The sildenafil film was palatable. The dissolution profiles of freeze-dried and heat-dried films were similar to Viagra® with f2 of 51.04 and 65.98, respectively.
Fulltext Hydrophobically Grafted Pullulan Nanocarriers for Percutaneous Delivery: Preparation and Preliminary In Vitro Characterisation

Bostanudin MF, Barbu E, Liew KB

Polymers (Basel), 2021 Aug 25;13(17).
PMID: 34502895 DOI: 10.3390/polym13172852

Polymeric colloidal nanocarriers formulated from hydrophobically grafted carbohydrates have been the subject of intensive research due to their potential to increase the percutaneous penetration of hydrophilic actives. To this goal, a series of hydrophobically grafted pullulan (BMO-PUL) derivatives with varying degree of grafting (5-64%) was prepared through functionalisation with 2-(butoxymethyl)oxirane. The results demonstrated that monodispersed BMO-PUL nanocarriers (size range 125-185 nm) could be easily prepared via nanoprecipitation; they exhibit close-to-spherical morphology and adequate stability at physiologically relevant pH. The critical micellar concentration of BMO-PUL was found to be inversely proportional to their molecular weight (Mw) and degree of grafting (DG), with values of 60 mg/L and 40 mg/L for DG of 12.6% and 33.8%, respectively. The polymeric nanocarriers were loaded with the low Mw hydrophilic active α-arbutin (16% loading), and the release of this active was studied at varying pH values (5 and 7), with a slightly faster release observed in acidic conditions; the release profiles can be best described by a first-order kinetic model. In vitro investigations of BMO-PUL nanocarriers (concentration range 0.1-4 mg/mL) using immortalised skin human keratinocytes cells (HaCaT) evidenced their lack of toxicity, with more than 85% cell viability after 24 h. A four-fold enhance in arbutin permeation through HaCaT monolayers was recorded when the active was encapsulated within the BMO-PUL nanocarriers. Altogether, the results obtained from the in vitro studies highlighted the potential of BMO-PUL nanocarriers for percutaneous delivery applications, which would warrant further investigation in vivo.
Simultaneous quantification of sildenafil and N-desmethyl sildenafil in human plasma by UFLC coupled with ESI-MS/MS and pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence studies in Malay population

Liew KB, Loh GO, Tan YT, Peh KK

Biomed Chromatogr, 2015 Jun;29(6):953-60.
PMID: 25400284 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.3378

A simple, rapid, specific and reliable UFLC coupled with ESI-MSMS assay method to simultaneously quantify sildenafil and N-desmethyl sildenafil, with loperamide as internal standard, was developed. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Thermo Scientific Accucore C18 column with an isocratic mobile phase composed of 0.1% v/v formic acid in purified water-methanol (20:80, v/v), at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. Sildenafil, N-desmethyl sildenafil and loperamide were detected with proton adducts at m/z 475.4 > 58.2, 461.3 > 85.2 and 477.0 > 266.1 in multiple reaction monitoring positive mode, respectively. Both analytes and internal standard were extracted by diethyl ether. The method was validated over a linear concentration range of 10-800 ng/mL for sildenafil and 10-600 ng/mL for N-desmethyl sildenafil with correlation coefficient (r(2) ) ≥0.9976 for sildenafil and (r(2) ) ≥0.9992 for N-desmethyl sildenafil. The method was precise, accurate and stable. The proposed method was applied to study the bioequivalence between a 100 mg dose of two pharmaceutical products: Viagra (original) and Edyfil (generic) products. AUC0-t , Cmax and Tmax were 2285.79 ng h/mL, 726.10 ng/mL and 0.94 h for Viagra and 2363.25 ng h/mL, 713.91 ng/mL and 0.83 hour for Edyfil. The 90% confidence interval of these parameters of this study fall within the regulatory range of 80-125%, hence they are considered as bioequivalent.
Stability indicating HPLC-UV method for detection of curcumin in Curcuma longa extract and emulsion formulation

Syed HK, Liew KB, Loh GO, Peh KK

Food Chem, 2015 Mar 1;170:321-6.
PMID: 25306352 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.08.066

A stability-indicating HPLC-UV method for the determination of curcumin in Curcuma longa extract and emulsion was developed. The system suitability parameters, theoretical plates (N), tailing factor (T), capacity factor (K'), height equivalent of a theoretical plate (H) and resolution (Rs) were calculated. Stress degradation studies (acid, base, oxidation, heat and UV light) of curcumin were performed in emulsion. It was found that N>6500, T<1.1, K' was 2.68-3.75, HETP about 37 and Rs was 1.8. The method was linear from 2 to 200 μg/mL with a correlation coefficient of 0.9998. The intra-day precision and accuracy for curcumin were ⩽0.87% and ⩽2.0%, while the inter-day precision and accuracy values were ⩽2.1% and ⩽-1.92. Curcumin degraded in emulsion under acid, alkali and UV light. In conclusion, the stability-indicating method could be employed to determine curcumin in bulk and emulsions.
Effect of deprotenizing agent and quantification of donepezil hydrochloride in human plasma

Liew KB, Peh KK, Fung Tan YT

Pak J Pharm Sci, 2014 Sep;27(5):1303-7.
PMID: 25176366

The effect of deprotenizing agents on recovery of donepezil hydrochloride in the development of a simple, rapid, selective and sensitive high performance liquid chromatography method for quantification of donepezil hydrochloride in human plasma was described. The deprotenizing agents were comprised of, perchloric acid, methanol, acetonitrile, chloroform and their mixtures. The chromatographic separation was carried out using reversed phase C18 column (Agilent Eclipse Plus C18) with UV detection at 268 nm. The mobile phase was comprised of 0.01 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer, methanol and acetronitrile (50:30:20, v/v) adjusted to pH 2.7 with phosphoric acid (80%). A combination of perchloric acid and methanol gave a cleaner sample with a good recovery of donepezil hydrochloride of above 96%. The method showed intraday precision and accuracy in the range of 6.82% to 1.5% and 3.13% to 1.12% respectively, while interday precision and accuracy ranged between 1.06% to 4.71% and 13.01% to 6.43% respectively. The standard calibration curve was linear from 30ng/mL to 4000ng/mL, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9965±0.0034. The retention time of donepezil was 5.9 min with a run time of 7.0 min. The method can be applied to analyze large batch plasma samples in pharmacokinetic studies.
Randomized two-way cross-over bioequivalence study of two amoxicillin formulations and inter-ethnicity pharmacokinetic variation in healthy Malay volunteers

Liew KB, Loh GO, Tan YT, Peh KK

Biomed Chromatogr, 2014 Sep;28(9):1246-53.
PMID: 24585432 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.3153

The objectives of this study were to develop a new deproteinization method to extract amoxicillin from human plasma and evaluate the inter-ethnic variation of amoxicillin pharmacokinetics in healthy Malay volunteers. A single-dose, randomized, fasting, two-period, two-treatment, two-sequence crossover, open-label bioequivalence study was conducted in 18 healthy Malay adult male volunteers, with one week washout period. The drug concentration in the sample was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (UV-vis HPLC). The mean (standard deviation) pharmacokinetic parameter results of Moxilen® were: peak concentration (Cmax ), 6.72 (1.56) µg/mL; area under the concentration-time graph (AUC0-8 ), 17.79 (4.29) µg/mL h; AUC0-∞ , 18.84 (4.62) µg/mL h. Those of YSP Amoxicillin® capsule were: Cmax , 6.69 (1.44) µg/mL; AUC0-8 , 18.69 (3.78) µg/mL h; AUC00-∞ , 19.95 (3.81) µg/mL h. The 90% confidence intervals for the logarithmic transformed Cmax , AUC0-8 and AUC0-∞ of Moxilen® vs YSP Amoxicillin® capsule was between 0.80 and 1.25. Both Cmax and AUC met the predetermined criteria for assuming bioequivalence. Both formulations were well tolerated. The results showed significant inter-ethnicity variation in pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin. The Cmax and AUC of amoxicillin in Malay population were slightly lower compared with other populations.
Improved protein deproteinization method for the determination of meloxicam in human plasma and application in pharmacokinetic study

Liew KB, Loh GO, Tan YT, Peh KK

Biomed Chromatogr, 2014 Dec;28(12):1782-8.
PMID: 24788875 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.3221

A simple, rapid, specific and reliable high-performance liquid chromatographic assay of meloxicam in human plasma has been developed using a C18 reversed-phase analytical column. Reversed-phase chromatography was conducted using a mobile phase of 0.02 potassium dihydrogen phosphate (adjusted to pH 2.7 with phosphoric acid)-acetonitrile-triethylamine (35:65:0.05, v/v) with UV detection at 354 nm. The drug in human plasma was deproteinized using a combination of methanol and chloroform. This method is simple, rapid and consistent with a high recovery of meloxicam in human plasma ranging from 93.29 to 111.09%. Regression analysis for the calibration plot for plasma standards obtained for the drug concentrations between (25-4000) ng/mL indicated excellent linearity (r ≥ 0.9997). The proposed method was applied to study the bioequivalence between Mobic (original) and Melocam (generic) products. The study was conducted on using two tablets (4 × 7.5 mg) of each of the commercial product and the reference standard in a two-way open randomized crossover design involving 20 volunteers. Area under the concentration-time curve, peak concentration (C(max)) and time to reach C(max) were 72,868.61 ng h/mL, 2133.93 ng/mL and 4.06 h for Mobic, and 78,352.52 ng h/mL, 2525.18 ng/mL and 3.61 h for Melocam. Two C(max) were discovered in the pharmacokinetic profiles which confirm enterohepatic recirculation.
RP-HPLC analytical method development and optimization for quantification of donepezil hydrochloride in orally disintegrating tablet

Liew KB, Peh KK, Fung Tan YT

Pak J Pharm Sci, 2013 Sep;26(5):961-6.
PMID: 24035953

An easy, fast and validated RV-HPLC method was invented to quantify donepezil hydrochloride in drug solution and orally disintegrating tablet. The separation was carried out using reversed phase C-18 column (Agilent Eclipse Plus C-18) with UV detection at 268 nm. Method optimization was tested using various composition of organic solvent. The mobile phase comprised of phosphate buffer (0.01M), methanol and acetonitrile (50:30:20, v/v) adjusted to pH 2.7 with phosphoric acid (80%) was found as the optimum mobile phase. The method showed intraday precision and accuracy in the range of 0.24% to -1.83% and -1.83% to 1.99% respectively, while interday precision and accuracy ranged between 1.41% to 1.81% and 0.11% to 1.90% respectively. The standard calibration curve was linear from 0.125 μg/mL to 16 μg/mL, with correlation coefficient of 0.9997±0.00016. The drug solution was stable under room temperature at least for 6 hours. System suitability studies were done. The average plate count was > 2000, tailing factor <1, and capacity factor of 3.30. The retention time was 5.6 min. The HPLC method was used to assay donepezil hydrochloride in tablet and dissolution study of in-house manufactured donepezil orally disintegrating tablet and original Aricept.
Fulltext Characterization of oral disintegrating film containing donepezil for Alzheimer disease

Liew KB, Tan YT, Peh KK

AAPS PharmSciTech, 2012 Mar;13(1):134-42.
PMID: 22167416 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-011-9729-4

The aim of this study was to develop a taste-masked oral disintegrating film (ODF) containing donepezil, with fast disintegration time and suitable mechanical strength, for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, corn starch, polyethylene glycol, lactose monohydrate and crosspovidone served as the hydrophilic polymeric bases of the ODF. The uniformity, in vitro disintegration time, drug release and the folding endurance of the ODF were examined. The in vitro results showed that 80% of donepezil hydrochloride was released within 5 minutes with mean disintegration time of 44 seconds. The result of the film flexibility test showed that the number of folding time to crack the film was 40 times, an indication of sufficient mechanical property for patient use. A single-dose, fasting, four-period, eight-treatment, double-blind study involving 16 healthy adult volunteers was performed to evaluate the in situ disintegration time and palatability of ODF. Five parameters, namely taste, aftertaste, mouthfeel, ease of handling and acceptance were evaluated. The mean in situ disintegration time of ODF was 49 seconds. ODF containing 7 mg of sucralose were more superior than saccharin and aspartame in terms of taste, aftertaste, mouthfeel and acceptance. Furthermore, the ODF was stable for at least 6 months when stored at 40°C and 75% relative humidity.
Taste-masked and affordable donepezil hydrochloride orally disintegrating tablet as promising solution for non-compliance in Alzheimer's disease patients

Liew KB, Tan YT, Peh KK

Drug Dev Ind Pharm, 2015 Apr;41(4):583-93.
PMID: 24495273 DOI: 10.3109/03639045.2014.884130

Manufacturing process and superdisintegrants used in orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) formulation are often time discussed. However, the effect of suitable filler for ODT formulation is not explored thoroughly.
Three-ways crossover bioequivalence study of cephalexin in healthy Malay volunteers

Liew KB, Peh KK, Loh GO, Tan YT

Drug Dev Ind Pharm, 2014 Sep;40(9):1156-62.
PMID: 23688276 DOI: 10.3109/03639045.2013.798805

Although the general pharmacokinetics of cephalexin is quite established up-to-date, however, no population-based study on Cephalexin pharmacokinetics profile in Malay population has been reported yet in the literature.
Effect of polymer, plasticizer and filler on orally disintegrating film

Liew KB, Tan YT, Peh KK

Drug Dev Ind Pharm, 2014 Jan;40(1):110-9.
PMID: 23311593 DOI: 10.3109/03639045.2012.749889

Difficulty in swallowing tablets or capsules has been identified as one of the contributing factors to non-compliance of geriatric patients. Although orally disintegrating tablet was designed for fast disintegration in mouth, the fear of taking solid tablets and the risk of choking for certain patient populations still exist.
Fulltext Fast Melt Cocoa Butter Tablet: Effect of Waxes, Starch, and PEG 6000 on Physical Properties of the Preparation

Liew KB, Ming LC, Goh BH, Peh KK

Molecules, 2022 May 13;27(10).
PMID: 35630605 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27103128

A fast melt tablet (FMT) is well regarded as an alternative delivery system that might help resolve a patient's non-compliance issue. The main objective of this study was to develop a cocoa butter-based FMT. Additives, namely 5-15% of PEG 6000, beeswax, paraffin wax, and corn starch, were incorporated into the cocoa butter-based FMT to study the effects of these additives with the physical characteristic of a cocoa butter FMT. An optimum-based formulation was chosen according to the desired hardness and disintegration time and the taste masking property achieved with the model drug-dapoxetine. The analysis demonstrated that incorporating beeswax (15%) and paraffin wax (15%) could prolong the disintegration time by at least two-fold. On the contrary, the presence of corn starch was found to cause an increase in the hardness and reduction of the disintegration time. The disintegration mechanism might be presumed due to the synergistic effect of starch swelling and cocoa butter melting. The hardness value and in vitro disintegration time of the optimum formulation were recorded at 2.93 ± 0.22 kg and 151.67 ± 6.98 s. In terms of dissolution, 80% of dapoxetine was released within 30 min and the dissolution profile was comparable to the innovator product. The formulation was palatable and stable for at least 1 year. The exposure of the FMT formulation at 30 °C for 12 months was reported to be stable. Along with the sound palatability profile and high drug load capacity, the current formulation possesses the desired characteristics to be scaled up and marketed.
Natural alternatives from your garden for hair care: Revisiting the benefits of tropical herbs

Sang SH, Akowuah GA, Liew KB, Lee SK, Keng JW, Lee SK, et al.

Heliyon, 2023 Nov;9(11):e21876.
PMID: 38034771 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21876

Hair shampoos containing botanical ingredients without synthetic additives, such as parabens, petrochemicals, sulfates and silicones are more skin- and environmentally friendly. In recent years, there is a growing demand for shampoo products with botanical extracts. Shampoos with botanical extracts are well-known for their perceived health benefits. They are also generally milder, non-toxic, natural, and less likely to disrupt the hair and scalp's natural pH and oil balance. Many also believe that shampoos with botanical origins have higher standards of quality. Numerous botanical extracts had been used as natural active ingredients in cosmetic formulations to meet consumer demands. In this review, we have revisited six tropical plants commonly added as natural active ingredients in shampoo formulations: Acacia concinna, Camellia oleifera, Azadirachta indica, Emblica officinalis, Sapindus mukorossi, and Garcinia mangostana. These plants have been traditionally used for hair care, and scientific research has shown that they exhibit relevant physicochemical properties and biological activities that are beneficial for hair care and scalp maintenance.
Development of a Novel Co-processed Excipitient Comprising of Xylitol, Mannitol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, and Crospovidone for the Compounding of Memantine Hydrochloride Orally Disintegrating Tablet

Hazdi SN, Phang HC, Ng ZQ, Chew YL, Uddin AH, Sarker ZI, et al.

Int J Pharm Compd, 2023;27(6):522-527.
PMID: 38100670

Orally disintegrating tablets, which were originally developed in the pharmaceutical field to improve the compliance of patients who had difficulty swallowing tablets, have become a preferable choice in solid dosage forms since it brings advantages to the patients and consumers in the healthcare system. Among the advantages of this novel dosage form are a faster onset of action, improved bioavailability, and the ease of administration as it can be taken without water. However, there are still some limitations of orally disintegrating tablets that need to be overcome, including a lack of mechanical strength, an unpleasant taste of the drug in the mouth, and a stability issue due to its hygroscopicity nature. This objective of this study was to identify the composition of co-processed excipients comprising of mannitol, microcrystalline cellulose, xylitol, and crospovidone or croscarmellose sodium in order to formulate orally disintegrating tablets containing memantine hydrochloride. This study was carried out in two stages. Firstly, orally disintegrating tablets containing memantine hydrochloride with 6 different formulations, which differed in the percentage of crospovidone or croscarmellose sodium, were formulated and manufactured. Secondly, the orally disintegrating tablets obtained were evaluated through pre- and post-compression tests based on the standard for orally disintegrating tablets. Formulation 3, which consisted of 10% xylitol, 10% mannitol, 72% microcrystalline cellulose, and 8% crospovidone, was chosen as the optimum formulation for the co-processed excipient since it was the fastest disintegration process among all the formulations in the study. In addition, Formulation 3 also showed the acceptable and satisfying results in other evaluation tests such as - weight variation test, hardness test, and friability test. The co-processed excipient comprising of 10% xylitol, 10% mannitol, 72% microcrystalline cellulose, and 8% crospovidone, which is characterized by improved functionalities such as a fast disintegration process, plays a crucial role in the application of orally disintegrating tablets.
Fulltext Levofloxacin: Insights Into Antibiotic Resistance and Product Quality

Izadi E, Afshan G, Patel RP, Rao VM, Liew KB, Meor Mohd Affandi MMR, et al.

Front Pharmacol, 2019;10:881.
PMID: 31474853 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00881

Counterfeit and substandard medicines are recognized as one of serious threats to public health. The product quality of antibacterial medicine will compromise patients' recovery and increase the chance of antibacterial resistance. The review aims to provide a summary of low quality levofloxacin issues and the risk factors as well as suggesting the aspects of product quality that need to be regulated strictly. Quality of the active ingredient, levofloxacin, has an important role to contribute to successful therapy. The poor quality of raw material, directly and indirectly, causes treatment failure as the presence of insufficient dose, mislabeled content, and poor dissolution characteristics can lead to lower bioavailability. Identifying and reporting these factors can potentially help in improving the quality of drug marketed in various developing countries and may also reduce the incidences of treatment failure. Dissolution test is used for testing the dissolution profiles and the rate of drug release from solid formulation such as oral formulations, thus providing information regarding the in vivo performance of a formulation and its bioequivalence. On the other hand, quality-testing procedures are used for comparing the quality of products.
Fulltext Cold chain time- and temperature-controlled transport of vaccines: a simulated experimental study

Ng CZ, Lean YL, Yeoh SF, Lean QY, Lee KS, Suleiman AK, et al.

Clin Exp Vaccine Res, 2020 Jan;9(1):8-14.
PMID: 32095436 DOI: 10.7774/cevr.2020.9.1.8

Purpose: The objective of this research was to examine the cold chain temperature maintenance for the supply of vaccines and other biological products by pharmaceutical wholesaler.
Materials and Methods: In this study, six configurations using cold vaccine boxes or bags made with different materials, with and without insulation, of different sizes, and number of coolant-packs were used to simulate the configuration used by the pharmaceutical wholesalers for transportation of vaccine. Model vaccines (vial, n=10) were packed using these six configurations which then stored in an incubator at 38℃ and monitored for 24 hours. Each configuration was tested repeatedly for 5 times.
Results: In term of compliance to 2℃-8℃, four out of six tested configurations are effective in cold chain transportation. The effectiveness is highly dependent on the type of passive containers used, size of cold boxes, insulation, and number of coolant-packs. The configuration with a larger polystyrene foam box with five coolant-packs maintained the required temperature up to 23 hours. In contrast, configurations using a polystyrene foam box with four coolant-packs and a large vaccine cold box with two coolant-packs failed to reach below 8℃ throughout the 24 hours.
Conclusion: Packaging method, the material and size of the container could have a direct impact on the effectiveness of cold chain temperature maintenance. Polystyrene foam box, cold box with polyethylene interior lining and polypropylene insulation, a cooler bag with proper number of ice packs could be effectively used for transportation of vaccines within their respective transportation duration allowance.

Filters

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links