ClinicalTrials.gov [NCT02378753] and Pan African Clinical Trials Registry [PACTR201502001037220].

ClinicalTrials.gov [NCT02378753] and Pan African Clinical Trials Registry [PACTR201502001037220].

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a growing global health challenge that threatens to undo gains in human and animal health. Prevention and control of AMR requires functional antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) program, which is complex and often difficult to implement in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to describe the processes of establishing and implementing an AMS program at Connaught Hospital in Sierra Leone. The project involved the setting up of an AMS program, capacity building and performing a global point prevalence survey (GPPS) at Sierra Leone’s national referral hospital. Connaught Hospital established a multidisciplinary AMS subcommittee in 2021 to provide AMS services such as awareness campaigns, education and training and review of guidelines. We performed a GPPS on 175 patients, of whom more than half (98, 56.0%) were prescribed an antibiotic: 63 (69.2%) in the surgical wards and 53 (51.2%) in the medical wards. Ceftriaxone (60, 34.3%) and metronidazole (53, 30.3%) were the most common antibiotics prescribed to patients. In conclusion, it is feasible to establish and implement an AMS program in low-income countries, where most hospitalized patients were prescribed an antibiotic.

Objective: This study evaluates the registration status and the quality of nine brands of Vitamin C sold in Freetown, Sierra Leone, using official and non-official methods of analysis. Methods: The parameters taken into consideration during the study include non-official methods (friability and disintegration) and the official methods (identification test, uniformity of dosage unit, and assay by titrimetric and colorimetric tests). The different brands of vitamin C were selected and classified as registered and unregistered based on the data derived from the National Medicines Regulatory Authority. Results: One vitamin C product collected was unregistered at the National medicines regulatory authority (Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone). All nine vitamin C products met the requirements for uniformity of dosage unit. The vitamin C products also conformed to the BP specification for friability and identification test (retention factor). The identification test showed that each brand contained vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The disintegration test was not applicable for chewable tablets. Three of the four non-chewable vitamin C products complied with the BP specification for disintegration, while one failed and did not meet the requirement. The assay results for ascorbic acid using titration and colourimetric method were comparable and appropriate for determining vitamin C. Out of a total of nine samples; seven met the requirement for BP specification (Passed) for assay. In contrast, one product did not meet the BP requirement (failed), and one sample had more vitamin C than the Pharmacopoeia limit. Conclusion: Periodic quality evaluation and routine checks for pharmaceutical products can ascertain the quality of products, their storage conditions and identify potential counterfeit medications.