3D-printed electrochemical pestle and mortar for identification of falsified pharmaceutical tablets R.S. Shergill 1, 2 , Anna Farlow 1 , Fernando Perez 1, 2 , B.A. Patel 1, 2* 1 School of Applied Sciences, 2 Centre for Stress and Age-Related Disease, UK Theproduction of3-D printed electrodes for use in electrochemical applications is anovelfield offering unique potential for bespoke application. On possible application is in Falsified medicines and healthcare supplements which provide a major risk to public health and thus early identification is critical. Although a host of analytical approaches have been used to date, they are limited, as they require extensive sample preparation, are semi- quantitative and/or are inaccessible to low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, for the first time, we report a simple total analysis system which can rapidly and accurately detect falsified medicines and healthcare supplements. We fabricated a poly-lactic acid (PLA) pestle and mortar and using a commercial 3D printer, then made carbon black/PLA (CB/PLA) electrodes in the base of the mortar using a 3D printing pen to make an electrochemical cell. The pestle and mortar were able to crush and grind the tablets into a fine powder to the same consistency as a standard laboratory pestle and mortar. Using melatonin tablets to characterise the device, the 3D-printed pestle and mortar was able to detect the concentration of melatonin in the presence of insoluble excipients. The calibration plot showed a linear response from 37.5 to 300µg/mL, where the limit of detection was 7µg/mL. Overall, these findings highlight that our 3D-printed electrochemical pestle and mortar is an accessible and effective total analysis system that can have the ability to identify falsified medicines and healthcare supplements in remote locations. References 1. Ozawa, S., et al., Prevalence and estimated economic burden of substandard and falsified medicines in low-and middle- income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA network open, 2018. 1 (4): p. e181662-e181662. 2. Khurelbat, D., et al., A cross-sectional analysis of falsified, counterfeit and substandard medicines in a low-middle income country. BMC Public Health, 2020. 20 : p. 1-9. 3. Organization, W.H., A study on the public health and socioeconomic impact of substandard and falsified medical products. 2017. Almuzaini, T., H. Sammons, and I. Choonara, Substandard and falsified medicines in the UK: a retrospective review of drug alerts (2001–2011). BMJ open, 2013. 3 (7): p. e002924. 4. Caudron, J.M., et al., Substandard medicines in resource-poor settings: a problem that can no longer be ignored. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 2008. 13 (8): p. 1062-1072. 5. Giralt, A.N., et al., Quality assurance of medicines supplied to low-income and middle-income countries: poor products in shiny boxes? BMJ Global Health, 2017. 2 (2): p. e000172. 6. Gøtzsche, P.C., R. Smith, and D. Rennie, Deadly medicines and organised crime: how big pharma has corrupted healthcare . 2019: CRC press. Edwards, C. and C. Jeffray, On Tap: Organised Crime and the Illicit Trade in Tobacco, Alcohol and Pharmaceuticals , in Mischief, Morality and Mobs . 2016, Routledge. p. 165-188.
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