Conformity of package inserts information to regulatory requirements among selected branded and generic medicinal products circulating on the East African market

BACKGROUND: Availability of correct and adequate information about medicines is an important aspect in ensuring rational use of medicines and hence facilitating safety and expected efficacy of medicines during therapy. Package inserts have proven to be a good source of information to the prescribers and patients whereby they have been useful in highlighting important information pertaining proper use and handling of the medicines. The present study was aimed at establishing the extent to which package inserts of medicines circulating on the markets of the East African Community (EAC) Partner States conform to medicines information requirements as established in the harmonized guidelines as well as national guidelines. METHODS: A total of 99 package inserts from six (6) types of medicines namely Albendazole, Artemether/Lumefantrine (ALu), Ciprofloxacin, Paracetamol, Amoxicillin and Metronidazole were purposefully collected from three EAC Partner States: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The medicines were selected based on their indications as first line treatments, high rates of utilization within the medicines supply system and their positions in treatment of diseases of public importance across EAC Partner States. The inserts were evaluated on the availability of information regarding fifteen (15) parameters as extracted from the EAC harmonized guidelines for registration of medicines. Moreover, comparisons were made between the percentage conformity of the branded versus generic products, markets from which the samples were collected, origin of the manufacturer and type of medicine. RESULTS: Majority (93.9–100%) of the medicines’ package inserts highly conformed to the inclusion of the information regarding the description and composition of the medications, indications, dosage and methods of administration, warnings and precautions, contraindications and storage conditions. However, the information on handling and disposal, container package description, excipients used, clinical pharmacology of the medicines, and directions regarding overdose ranked the least in conformance with conformity ranging from 13.1–52.5%. The parameter with the lowest observed percentage conformity among the branded products scored 50% as compared to 10.8% among the generic products. Moreover, there was no significant difference (P<0.05) in the percentage conformity of the package inserts collected from each of the three Partner States as compared to the average from studied medicines. A generally good conformity was observed among medicines manufactured by European based manufacturers as compared to those based in Asia and EAC Partner States. In addition, PIs of Albendazole, Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin and Artemether/Lumefantrine did show overall high conformity across most of the product information requirements. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed the existence of a significant number of medicinal products circulating on the markets of EAC Partner States without necessary compliance with all product information requirements. We therefore recommend that NMRAs ensure thorough pre-market assessment of product information as well as strengthening their post marketing surveillance to ensure that medicines circulating on the market comply to medicines information requirements at all times. Emphasis should also be given to manufacturers on the importance of inclusion of appropriate and adequate product information for the safety of patients, including advocating for inclusion of patient-friendly and easy to understand medicines information.