The user dissolves the antibiotic in water and then adds the solution to the paper-based chemical assay, which changes color in the presence of a falsified antibiotic. The paper remains yellow if the antibiotic is of appropriate strength and turns red if the antibiotic is weakened. The assay also includes a pH indicator to determine if a sample is acidic or alkaline, which is also a useful indicator of whether a sample has been falsified.
The test takes around 15 minutes to perform and is effective for a broad spectrum of beta-lactam antibiotics. Researchers used the test on 32 antibiotic samples, and correctly determined the legitimacy of 29 of the samples.
Researchers described the assay and test in ACS Sensors.
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