• Shunmay Yeung, Harriet L S Lawford, Patricia Tabernero, Chea Nguon, Albert van Wyk, Naiela Malik, Mikhael DeSousa, Ouk Rada, Mam Boravann, Prabha Dwivedi, Dana M Hostetler, Isabel Swamidoss, Michael D Green, Facundo M Fernandez, and Harparkash Kaur.
• Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 2015 Jun 1; 92 (6 Suppl): 39-50.

AbstractWidespread availability of monotherapies and falsified antimalarials is thought to have contributed to the historical development of multidrug-resistant malaria in Cambodia. This study aimed to document the quality of artemisinin-containing antimalarials (ACAs) and to compare two methods of collecting antimalarials from drug outlets: through open surveyors and mystery clients (MCs). Few oral artemisinin-based monotherapies and no suspected falsified medicines were found. All 291 samples contained the stated active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) of which 69% were considered good quality by chemical analysis. Overall, medicine quality did not differ by collection method, although open surveyors were less likely to obtain oral artemisinin-based monotherapies than MCs. The results are an encouraging indication of the positive impact of the country's efforts to tackle falsified antimalarials and artemisinin-based monotherapies. However, poor-quality medicines remain an ongoing challenge that demands sustained political will and investment of human and financial resources. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

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