Low-quality pills pose a major health threat in developing countries where analytical resources are scarce. Panadol (known as Tylenol in the United States) is a commonly counterfeited analgesic, having little or no active ingredient or fake incorrect excipients such as baking soda or chalk1. Using simple, colorimetric chemistry on a paper-based device, undergraduates at Saint Mary's College (Notre Dame, IN) have developed a low-tech method that accurately detects adulterated Panadol pills. Many life-saving medicines are adulterated with similar excipients, and Panadol's active ingredient itself is a counterfeit component in these medicines. For this reason, the device which detects Panadol is the starting point for screening other drugs such as antimalarials and antibiotics. Over 500 field trials were completed during spring 2012 in order to validate the devices for use overseas in summer 2012. Speakers will discuss the development of the devices, as well as the process and results of the validation study.

Creating and validating a device to detect substandard panadol pills

244th National Meeting (2012)

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