PHYSICOCHEMICAL EQUIVALENCE OF DIFFERENT BRANDS OF DICLOFENIC SODIUM SR TABLETS AVAILABLE IN LOCAL MARKET

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to determine the Pakistani market condition for the healthcare of patients suffering from different pain condition e.g. arthritis, and also to correlate the quality with the cost of the brands. The present study is concerned to scrutinize and compare the physicochemical equivalence of different brands of sustained release tablets containing Diclofenac sodium purchased from different retail pharmacy outlets. The physicochemical equivalence of five different brands of Diclofenac sodium SR tablets was evaluated. These brands were tested through different statistical methods in accordance to the guidelines given in BP i.e. Weight variation, diameter, thickness, hardness, friability, dissolution, assay, price, expiry and appearance. Only two brands passed the dissolution test, one brand tablets were completely dissolved within first two hrs and remaining brands fail the dissolution test. Similarly problem was found in thickness of the different brands tablet. However no major problem was found in tablet weight variation, assay, diameter, friability, hardness parameter.