The stability of generic meropenem in tropical countries

Abstract

© 2015, International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. All rights reserved. Objective: To evaluate the stability of two brands of generic meropenem at high ambient temperatures and various concentrations in solution. Methods: Generic meropenem brand A and brand B vials were used to prepare 10 mg/mL and 20 mg/mL solutions in PVC bags. The prepared solutions were incubated at 25, 30 and 35 °C. Three mL of each solution were with drawn at 0, 4, 8 and 12 hours and subjected to HPLC analysis. Results: Generic meropenem (Brand A) as a 10 mg/mL solution was stable for up to 10 hours at 25°C, 5 hours at 30°C and 4.5 hours at 35°C. A. 20 mg/mL solution was stable for 6 hours at 25°C, 5 hours at 30°C and 3 hours at 35°C. Generic meropenem (Brand B) as a 10 mg/mL solution was stable for up to 9 hours at 25°C, 5 hours at 30°C and 3 hours at 35°C. A. 20 mg/mL solution was stable for 5 hours at 25°C,10 hours at 30°C and 5 hours at 35°C. Conclusion: The stability of the generic meropenem solutions was affected by temperature and concentration. Higher the temperatures and higher the drug concentrations, show lower the stability of generic meropenem.