Purpose: To investigate the microbiological quality of blister-packed tablets manufactured and
marketed in Jordan in order to assess Good Manufacturing Practice by pharmaceutical industries in the
country.
Methods: A total of 66 items of 22 registered blister-packed tablet brands were purchased from
community pharmacies in Amman. All the items were investigated for total bacterial count and the
presence of specified microorganisms using compendial procedures.
Results: Out of 66 items purchased, forty eight (72.7 %) products were free from microbial
contamination, while 11 (16.7 %) harbored bacteria in counts < 102 cfu/g. The remaining 7 (10.6 %)
items contained counts between 102 and < 103 cfu/g. The most commonly encountered contaminant
was
Bacillus species but specified objectionable bacteria such as Escherichia coli
and Staphylococcus
aereus
were not detected.
Aspergillus and
Penicillium species were isolated in low numbers from few
products. Six of the products with the highest stratified bacterial count were manufactured by one
company and were also found to be contaminated with
Aeromonas species.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that blister-packed tablets produced by Jordanian
pharmaceutical companies are within acceptable microbiological quality but the detection of microbial
load in some brands close to the maximum allowable limit suggests the need for better adherence to
GMP in the country.