Recent death of about 15 women in Indian state of Chhattisgargh has been linked to counterfeited antibiotics called ciprofloxacin. The women who visited sterilization camp were given this drug as antibiotic drug after the operation. Media reports citing government officials have said that laboratory tests of the drug, which was mass distributed in that area, was found to contain a poisonous chemical known as zinc phosphide.
What is Ciprofloxacin?
Ciprofloxacin is 1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7-(1-piperazinyl)-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid with a faintly yellowish in color. It is a commonly used drug to kill both gram-negative and gram-positive pathogens (antibiotic) from a group of fluoroquinolone. This drug is used to treat problems including infections of bones and joints, endocarditis, gastroenteritis, malignant otitis, respiratory tract infection, cellulitis, urinary tract infection, prostatitis, etc. It was 35st most prescribed drug and 5th most commonly prescribed antibacterial in the USA in 2010. Thats why many counterfeiters have targeted this drug to make money illegally.
 |
| Chemical structure of Ciprofloxacin |
What is counterfeit drug?
