881 samples were collected (Table 3).

Expired samples

41 (5%) of the samples collected were expired. These were all facility samples; no GMS samples were expired. Epinephrine injection and ergometrine injection were frequently found expired: these two drugs account for 26 (63%) of all expired samples. Expired samples were tested, but the results were excluded from the analysis.

GMS samples

192 GMS samples were tested. In the case of benzylpenicillin injection no GMS samples were tested. It was assumed that GMS samples for this drug would comply with specifications because the results obtained early in the study showed that all samples in a large number of "worst case" facility samples of benzylpenicillin passed. Only one batch of epinephrine injection was obtained since this drug was out of stock at GMS for most of the study period.

Facility samples

648 facility samples were tested. For those drugs that are only used at hospital level the number of facility samples is much smaller than for those used at both PHC facilities and hospitals (the study area included eight hospitals and over 50 health centres).

Table 3 - Number and type of samples obtained

Note:

^a Samples past their expiry date are recorded here but results have been excluded or presented separately.

^b The longitudinal series is a subgroup of facility samples where the sample has the same batch number as GMS,

Longitudinal series

This is a data set in which GMS and facility samples are taken from the same batch. The results from these facility/GMS sample pairs were analysed and reported separately, 264 facility samples could be paired with GMS samples of the same batch.