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Quality and Authenticity of Metformin Tablets Circulating on Japanese Websites

Overview of attention for article published in Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science, February 2021
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  • Above-average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (55th percentile)
  • Average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source

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4 X users

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3 Dimensions

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20 Mendeley
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Title
Quality and Authenticity of Metformin Tablets Circulating on Japanese Websites
Published in
Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science, February 2021
DOI 10.1007/s43441-021-00262-3
Pubmed ID
Authors

Shu Zhu, Naoko Yoshida, Hirohito Tsuboi, Ryo Matsushita, Kazuko Kimura

Abstract

Low-quality medicines and falsified medicines represent long-standing problems in developing countries. In Southeast Asia, the circulation of low-quality diabetes drugs (metformin) has been confirmed. It is possible that low-quality metformin has entered Japan via personal import through the Internet. This study evaluated the pharmaceutical quality and authenticity of metformin tablets obtained via the Internet in Japan. In total, 33 samples of 500-mg metformin tablets and 7 samples of extended-release/sustained-release tablets (500, 750, and 1,000 mg) were purchased via personal import in January 2017. Confirmation of a prescription was never requested purchase. The obtained samples were subjected to visual observations and authenticity investigations. Additionally, quantitative analysis, content uniformity and dissolution tests were performed using HPLC-PDA. Our authenticity investigations revealed that seven samples were genuine products, whereas the authenticity of the remaining 33 samples was unclear. Referring to United States Pharmacopeia 2014 for validation, four samples failed quality testing, five samples failed content uniformity testing, and two samples failed dissolution testing. Our findings illustrate that metformin tablets of poor-quantity and unregistered/unlicensed doses are available online and that it is important to increase consumer awareness about the presence of these medicines on the Internet to prevent the purchase of substandard medicines.

X Demographics

X Demographics

The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 4 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 20 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 20 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Bachelor 2 10%
Professor > Associate Professor 2 10%
Student > Ph. D. Student 2 10%
Lecturer 1 5%
Student > Doctoral Student 1 5%
Other 2 10%
Unknown 10 50%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science 2 10%
Economics, Econometrics and Finance 2 10%
Nursing and Health Professions 1 5%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 1 5%
Psychology 1 5%
Other 2 10%
Unknown 11 55%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 21 February 2021.
All research outputs
#13,251,171
of 23,866,543 outputs
Outputs from Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science
#212
of 586 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#185,883
of 423,622 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science
#6
of 10 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 23,866,543 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 44th percentile – i.e., 44% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 586 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 8.1. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 63% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 423,622 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 55% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 10 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has scored higher than 4 of them.