Background: Alcohol based hand sanitizers (ABHS) are alcohol containing preparations in liquid, gel or foam for application to the hands to inactivate microorganisms and suppress their growth. The use of Alcohol based hand sanitizers is among the recommended means of hand hygiene essential for controlling the spread of COVID-19. To be effective these products must comply with relevant quality parameters such as alcohol concentration (60-95%v/v) and pH (6 to 8).
Aim: To evaluate the quality of Alcohol based hand sanitizers from community pharmacies in Nyamagana district, Mwanza.
Methodology: The study was laboratory analytical study in which forty-five (45) samples of hand sanitizers were collected and analysed. Evaluation of Alcohol concentration, was done using Calibrated alcohol-meter and pH of each sample was determined by pH meter sensor.
Results: The study reveals that upon alcohol quantification, 15 (33%) did not meet the percentage Alcohol concentration specification of East African Standard (EAS). Eleven (24%) failed to meet the specification of pH, where 8 (18%) were below the acceptable range and 3 (6%) were above the range. Overall 20 (44%) of the samples failed to comply with both specifications of Alcohol content and pH, but 25 (56%) complied with both specifications.
Conclusion: The 25 (56%) of the samples which complied with EAS specifications of both alcohol content and pH are of good pharmaceutical quality and are the ones to be used for therapeutic purposes.
= OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Hand Sanitizers A liquid or gel which contains or may not contain alcohol, that is used to clean hands and kills infection causing microorganisms. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Alcohol Based Hand Sanitizers Are products which contain the active ingredient Ethanol or Isopropyl alcohol that are rubbed on hands to inactivate pathogenic microorganisms. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Active ingredient A substance used in a pharmaceutical product intended to produce pharmacological activity or to have direct effect in diagnosis, effect or prevention of disease. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Substandard drugs Are medical products that fail to meet quality standards or specifications or both. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Pharmacopoeia An official publication containing a list of medicinal drugs with their effects and direction for their use also used as a public tool defines the quality of medicines by collecting the recommended procedures for analysis and specifications for the determination.
= ABBREVIATIONS ABHS Alcohol Based Hand Sanitizers COVID-19 Corona Virus Disease 2019 EAS East African Standard FDA Food and Drug Administration GMP Good Manufacturing Practices KEBS Kenya Bureau of Standards SARS-CoV-2 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 TMDA Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority USP United States Pharmacopoeia WHO World Health Organization