Published: 2 hours ago

THE Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has embraced cutting-edge portable technology to combat substandard and falsified medicines, which continue to be of serious concern.

The authority is now using handheld Raman and Near-Infrared (NIR) spectrometers to rapidly verify the authenticity of medicines - without opening packaging or sending samples to a laboratory.

"Substandard and falsified (SF) medicines remain a critical public health concern, but MCAZ is leveraging cutting-edge portable technology to strengthen frontline defences. Handheld Raman and Near-Infrared (NIR) spectrometers are now being used to rapidly verify the authenticity of medicines - without opening packaging or sending samples to a laboratory," said the Authority.

Raman spectrometers use laser light to generate a unique chemical "fingerprint" of a drug, while NIR spectrometers analyse its internal structure using near-infrared light.

"These compact tools deliver fast, reliable results in minutes, are easy to operate in the field, and are already proving invaluable at pharmacies, clinics, and border checkpoints," said the Authority.

By integrating these technologies into its quality surveillance efforts, MCAZ is striving to ensure that only safe, effective medicines reach the public. 
- The Chronicle

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