Table 3 Summary of review search criteria

Databases

1. PubMed

2. Web of Science

3. Google Scholar

Other sources

1. Nayyar et al. [23]

2. Tabanero et al. [3]

3. USP DQI country reports [85]

4. WWARN anti-malarial medicine quality surveyor [86]

Key search terms

Medicine OR drug quality AND survey OR screening

Screening: AND poor quality OR counterfeit OR substandard (medicine OR drug)

Detection: AND poor quality OR counterfeit OR substandard (medicine OR drug)

Eligibility criteria

 Dates

1990–2016

 Language

English, French

 Location

Central, South and South East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, Pacific Islands

 Article type

Scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals and grey literature (reports and surveys)

 Types of studies

Field surveys in which anti-malarial medicines were assessed for quality, using a screening technique

 Screening technique and outcome

1. Screening techniques: tests based on but not restricted to chromatographic and spectrometric techniques with the addition of visual inspection or visual inspection alone

2. Outcome measure (medicine quality)

 Exclusion criteria

1. Reviews/Commentaries/Conference Papers/Letters

2. High specification, non-portable technologies (as defined by Kovacs et al. [24] with LMIC score <4^b)

3. Feasibility studies

4. Non-anti-malarial medicine assessed for quality alone

5. Only results of either screening or confirmatory tests presented when both undertaken

 Search dates

January 2016, updated October 2016