COMPARATIVE QUALITY EVALUATION OF SOME METRONIDAZOLE TABLETS AND METRONIDAZOLE BENZOATE ORAL SUSPENSIONS AVAILABLE IN RETAIL OUTLETS OF ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

In this study, five different products of each metronidazole tablets and benzoate salt oral suspensions were purchased from the different retail outlets in the local market of Addis Ababa and analyzed using official methods (Pharmacopoeial methods of USP/BP/IP) by employing HPLC for the tablet dosage forms and non-aqueous titration with potentiometric end point for the suspensions. The assay results showed that all brand and generic products of metronidazole tablets and metronidazole benzoate oral suspensions met the USP and the IP specifications, respectively. Furthermore, all the tablets analyzed have passed the hardness, friability and weight variation tests. All tablets except metrogyl passed the disintegration time test and dissolution rate test specifications of BP/USP. In addition, different brands and a generic product of metronidazole benzoate oral suspensions were evaluated by determining their physical stability with respect to the two useful parameters, sedimentation volume and Viscosity. Amrizole has relatively moderate viscosity (728.0 ± 0.12 cP), which may cause good pourability of the suspension with a sedimentation value of 1 (acceptable and stable suspension). On the other hand Camezol has low viscosity (9.2 ± 0.40 cP) and sedimentation Value (0.10) that may cause faster sedimentation of the particles of the suspension. This study showed the importance of post marketing surveillance for the drugs imported and distributed in the country, Ethiopia.