Side effects
You think a medicine caused a side effect
Tell your doctor or pharmacist. You can also report it to SAHPRA, South Africa’s medicines regulator, through its Med Safety app, or by emailing its reporting form to adr@sahpra.org.za.
Pinnacle Pharmaceuticals
Measured. Tested. On record.
Look up the laboratory test certificate for your batch using the number on the pack, and work out the exact volume to draw for a prescribed dose.
01Batch verification
One number links your pack to its test results.
Enter the batch number printed on the label. If the batch is on record you will see each test result and can open the laboratory certificate.
- 01Batch made
Each production run gets its own batch number.
- 02Samples tested
Samples from that run go to the laboratory.
- 03Certificate issued
Every result is recorded against its specification.
- 04You check it
Search the number here to see the results for your pack.
Recall notices
No batches are recalled at present.
02Dosing calculator
The exact volume for a prescribed dose.
Enter the dose you were prescribed and the strength on the label. The calculator does the arithmetic and shows where the plunger should sit.
For a liquid that is ready to use. Converts the dose into a volume.
For a powder you mix with a diluent before use.
mL
For a dose prescribed per kilogram of body weight.
Draw up
Example numbers
0.00mL
Enter your numbers to see the volume.
1 mL syringe
This calculator converts a prescribed dose into a volume. It does not recommend a dose. Follow your prescription, and ask your pharmacist or doctor before using a result that looks wrong to you.
03Reading a certificate
What each line on the certificate means.
A certificate of analysis lists every test done on a batch, the limit it had to meet and what the laboratory measured.
- 01
Batch number
Identifies one production run. Every pack from that run carries the same number, and the certificate covers that run only. If the number on your pack differs from the one on the certificate, the certificate is not for your pack.
- 02
Manufacture and expiry dates
When the batch was made and the last date it should be used. They should match the dates printed on your pack.
- 03
Specification and result
The specification is the limit set before testing. The result is what the laboratory measured. A batch passes only when every result falls inside its specification.
- 04
Identity
Confirms that the active ingredient is the one named on the label, usually by comparing it against a reference standard.
- 05
Assay
Measures how much active ingredient is present, shown as an amount or as a percentage of the amount on the label. The specification is a range around 100%.
- 06
Related substances
Impurities that form during manufacture or storage. Each has an upper limit, and the result should be below it.
- 07
Sterility
Applies to injectable products. A sample is incubated, normally for 14 days, to check that nothing grows. The expected result is no growth.
- 08
Bacterial endotoxins
Fragments of bacteria that can cause fever even when a product is sterile. The result is reported in endotoxin units (EU) and must be under the limit.
- 09
Laboratory, signature and date
Shows who did the testing and when, and that a responsible person reviewed and signed off the results.
04Safety
Report a side effect or a problem with a product.
Reports help keep medicines safe. If you feel unwell, speak to your doctor or pharmacist first. In an emergency, call 10177, or 112 from a mobile phone.
Quality problems
Something about the pack or product is not right
If the batch number cannot be found here, the pack looks different from usual, or the product looks, smells or tastes unusual, do not use it. Keep the pack and contact Pinnacle Pharmaceuticals. Quality problems can also be reported to SAHPRA on the same form.