Medicine, as an instrument for health promotion, can be considered a risk factor when used
inappropriately or when its quality is compromised. It is for the manufacturer to produce medicine meeting quality standards and for the State to monitor and regulate the whole supply chain process. The results of this study come from 306 sample medicines analysed by the Antibiotics Section of the Adolfo Lutz
Institute, by the Z and the National Programmes of Quality Control of Medicines in the period 2003-2009:
88 % were considered satisfactory while 12 % were unsatisfactory, of which 2 % due to labeling analyses
and 10 % to physicochemical analyses, mainly for the trials of visual aspect and dissolution.The laboratory findings proved to be of great importance and relevance that the State implement programmes of quality control and that Central Laboratories of Public Health assure the execution of Good Manufacturing
Practices and the consumer defense directives.