Comparative Assesment of Multibrand and Generic Amoxycillin and Potassium Clavulanate Combination Tablets Marketed in India

Physicians often continue to prescribe brand name drugs from the country of origin of the inventor to their patients even when less expensive of same brand drugs that are available in India. Unfortunately physicians in general and in particular tend to prescribe brand-name drugs which made in country of origin of the inventor, even without evidence of their therapeutic superiority. The aim of this work was to evaluate and compare the physicochemical parameters of different brand tablets of amoxycillin and potassium clavulanate that are available in India. Price and variation as well as physical parameters like weight variation, thickness, hardness, disintegration, dissolutions and chemical assay were considered during the present study. All brands had contents compatible within the Pharmacopeias and the dissolution were determined in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) without enzymes for all the drugs showed more than 94% of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) dissolved within 30 min. All drugs were approved with regard to tablets pharmacopeical parameters are between within the limit. The disintegration time of all samples also proved satisfactory, had completely disintegrated in less than 15 s. The SGF indicated over 90% release from eleven samples, while it revealed over 80% release in SIF from nine samples out of the above mentioned. The absorbance of the resulting solutions was determined at 289 nm, and the calculated value of A (1%) was 289 at 287.9 nm. Price variation was from 101.6 to 172.0 INR.