Contrôle qualité des médicaments à base d'Ibuprofène commercialisés à Maradi (Niger)

Abstract: Substandard and falsified medicines (SFM) pose a growing public health threat in sub-Saharan Africa. Maradi, Niger's main commercial hub bordering Nigeria, faces heightened exposure to this risk. Ibuprofen, a widely self-medicated non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is distributed through heterogeneous, poorly controlled supply chains. The objective of this study was to assess the pharmaceutical quality of ibuprofen-based medicines marketed in Maradi. This work is a cross-sectional analytical study (October 2023 – May 2024, LANSPEX). Twenty-five samples (16 tablets 400 mg, 9 oral suspensions 200 mg/mL) were collected by stratified random sampling from formal (n=18) and informal (n=7) sectors. Analyses followed European Pharmacopoeia. 9.0 and United State Pharmacopoeia 43-National Formular38 monographs. Of 25 samples, 14 (56.0 %) were compliant and 11 (44.0 %) non-compliant, predominantly underdosed (90.9%). Oral suspensions showed higher non-compliance rates than tablets (77.8 % vs 25.0 %, p=0.017). The informal sector concentrated 62.5 % of NC (vs 11.1%, p=0.033). Origin continent was significantly associated with compliance (p=0.029). Nigeria showed 100 % NC (5/5). A 44% non-compliance rate underscores the urgent need to strengthen pharmaceutical market surveillance in Maradi, particularly at borders and within informal distribution networks. Keywords: substandard medicines, informal market, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.