RAPID SCREENING OF MARKETED PARACETAMOL TABLETS - USE OF THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY AND A SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPOT-TEST

Evaluated is the use of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) to determine t he qualify of paracetamol tablets marketed in Bangladesh. The procedur e was carried out using a cheap and rapid TLC method developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Reported also is a semiquantitative specific spot test for screening paracetamol tablets. The results obt ained indicate that, of the 38 brands tested, three were spurious, whi le 11 were of borderline qualify. In some cases, the results were also verified using the British Pharmacopoeia method. The simplified tests described in this article cannot replace the British Pharmacopoeia or U.S. Pharmacopeia methods but can be employed as initial screening te sts.