Julie Schappler

The proportion of counterfeit medicines has increased dramatically. Combatting this issue is complex, and various levels of action are necessary. The quality control (QC) of imported batches using simple, reliable, and cost-efficient analytical approaches is vital. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is becoming important because the analysis is achieved in a capillary with small dimensions, and is usually filled with an aqueous buffer. No organic solvent is required and injection volumes are in the nanolitre range, which is convenient because of the low availability of reference substances and reduces the environmental impact. CE is now recognized by numerous Pharmacopeia and can be used for counterfeit and substandard characterization as a validated analytical procedure that adheres to international guidelines.