State General Laboratory Annual Report 2018

40 State General laboratory Annual Report 2018  From 2017, participates and coordinates at national level the European Joint Research Programme on "Human Biomonitoring for Europe (HBM4EU)" (2017-2021), co-funded by "Horizon 2020" and the 28 participating countries. The main aim of the HBM4EU initiative is to coordinate and advance human biomonitoring in Europe and provide better evidence of the actual exposure of citizens to chemicals and the possible health effects to support policy-making. In 2018 the SGL was elected as the "Chemical Group Leader for mercury and its organic compounds (= 2nd round priority substances) of the HBM4EU".  In 2018 continued the coordination, at national level, of the implementation of the "Ostrava Declaration (2017)" on the Environmental Impact on Health. CONSUMER PRODUCTS The laboratory testing of consumer products (pharmaceuticals (for human and veterinary use), cosmetics, toys, textiles, adhesives, chemical mixtures for household use and air fresheners), and cus- toms samples is carried out by five specialised laboratories of the SGL having developed seven control-monitoring-surveillance pro- grammes in the framework of national and EU legislation. Pharmaceuticals The control of pharmaceuticals, along with the foodstuffs control, was one of the first priorities of the SGL, since its foundation in 1932. The SGL contributed over time to ensure the quality, efficacy and safety of phar- maceuticals traded in the domestic market or produced by the Cypriot pharmaceutical industry for export. Furthermore, the frequent laboratory control contributed to the qualitative development of the Cypriot pharma- ceutical industry as well as to the trade improvement of pharmaceuticals. In order to protect public health, the SGL performs quality control of pharmaceuticals for human and veterinary use to evaluate their quality, safety and efficiency according to the specifications of the finished product dos- sier of the MHA (Manufacturers Authorisation Holder) and/or official compendial method.  Physicochemical and pharmaceutical specifications that are usually tested: Quality: identification, uniformity of weight, assay of the active ingredient, uniformity of content, pH, water determination, optical rotation, clarity and degree of opalescence of liquids, refractive index. Efficiency: disintegration of tablets, capsules and suppositories, dissolution test for solid dosage forms. Safety: related substances, impurities, degradation products, visible and sub-visible particles in parenteral preparations.