We often take the quality of our medications for granted. The preparation and distribution of a drug involves many steps, any one of which can adversely affect its quality. A poor quality drug can result in undertreatment of a condition or unneeded adverse effects.
Causes of poor drug quality during preparation:
(1) failure to follow good manufacturing practices
(2) use of substandard materials
(3) failure to adequately purify the product
(4) presence of undesirable additives or contaminants
(5) lack of quality control
Causes of a good drug turning bad:
(1) failure to store properly (temperature, moisture, sterility, light exposure)
(2) use after the expiration date
(3) dilution or "cutting"
A drug of poor quality needs to be distinguished from a counterfeit drug. A counterfeit drug may or may not show poor drug quality.
A poor quality drug is more likely to be encountered:
(1) in a developing country with poor pharmaceutical controls
(2) when buying a drug over the internet
