This study aimed at evaluating some quality control parameters to compare the quality, safety, and efficacy of nine brands of ofloxacin tablets available in the Nigerian market. The physicochemical parameters and assay of the nine brands of ofloxacin tablets were assessed through the evaluation of uniformity of tablet weight, friability, hardness, disintegration, and assay of active ingredients according to established methods. The dissolution rate and disintegration time were determined in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) without enzymes. The concepts of dissolution efficiency (DE) and predicted availability equivalence (PAE) were used to estimate the likely in vivo bioavailability. All brands complied with the official specification for uniformity of weight, friability, and disintegration. The disintegration test revealed that the drugs had higher disintegration times in SGF (7.0 ± 0.95) relative to those in SIF (5.0 ± 2.55). The dissolution profiles in SGF showed that only one sample attained 70% dissolution in less than 45 min and the other 5 samples in 1 h, while in SIF, four samples attained 70% dissolution in 45 min and all samples in 1 h. The UV spectrophotometric assay of ofloxacin tablets revealed that three samples contained over 95% (w/w) of labeled chemical content. The PAE in SGF indicated over 90% release from five samples, while it revealed over 70% release in SIF from three samples out of the aforementioned. Only four of the brands considered in this study demonstrated comparable quality standards. The method is simple and rugged for both routine analysis and evaluation of the dissolution pattern of ofloxacin tablets as in vitro tests for batch-to-batch quality control assessment.

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This study was aimed at assessing the readiness for drug information service (DIS) provision at community pharmacies in Akwa Ibom state using a cross sectional, observational study approach. A pretested, validated questionnaire was adapted for the study. A total of 187 premises were enlisted for visits with questionnaires targeted at the superintendent pharmacists for desired responses. Response rate was 93.6%. Respondents were male (77, 44%) and female (98, 56%) with mean years of experience of respondents as 18.7 years. All respondents were aware of DIS terminologies and believed the concept to include enquiries on dosing (75%), side effects of drugs (99%), safety of drugs in cases such as pregnancy (79%), drug route of administration (80%), pill identification (66%) and substitutes to requested drugs (78%). Responses to limitations in discharging efficient DIS include non-trending service style (26%), premises requiring restructuring (26%), prohibitive setting up cost (17%) and non-availability of trained personnel (7%). At the time of this study, available resources for DIS in the premises included reference books (90%), periodicals (19%), and internet access through smart phones (60%). Secondary and tertiary sources of drug information were essentially relied on for DIS provision in the study area. There was significant association between socio-demographic characteristics such as age with readiness status (p<0.05). There was poor in-service training for effective DIS provision. Summarily, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the DIS approach across the state. There is need for improvement in facilities and resources for efficient discharge of DIS in the study area.

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