A literature review of analytical methods used for identification and determination of counterfeit drugs

Abstract: Drug counterfeiting is a serious problem in developed and developing countries. Different types of drugs are produced factitiously and endanger the health of the patients. Quick inspection methods for counterfeit drugs are of vital necessity. Since counterfeit drugs are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, additional analytical techniques are necessary to detect these counterfeits. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical active ingredients could be achieved by chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. Various analytical techniques such as Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy, Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Raman/Infrared Spectroscopy are used to determine the counterfeit product. In this study, analytical methods used for identification and determination of counterfeit drugs were summarized. Keywords: Counterfeit drugs, chromatography, spectroscopy, analytical methods, drug determination, counterfeitin