The determination of phenothiazine drugs in pharmaceutical preparations by a difference spectrophotometric method.

A method is described for the rapid determination of phenothiazine drugs in a wide variety of pharmaceutical preparations. The drugs are determined by a difference spectrophotometric technique based upon the absorbance of the sulphoxide derivative of the drug relative to the absorbance of a solution of the underivatized drug. The sulphoxide derivatives are formed rapidly and quantitatively at room temperature by the addition of a solution of peroxyacetic acid, prepared by the slow reaction of hydrogen peroxide and glacial acetic acid on standing. The difference absorbance of the solutions is proportional to the concentration of the phenothiazine drug in the preparation and is specific for the intact drug in the presence of oxidative and photochemical decomposition products, colouring and flavouring agents, excipients and most co-formulated drugs.