Development of an HPLC Method for Determination of Related Impurities in Prilocaine Substance

Development of a reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method for determination of six related impurities in prilocaine substance is reported. The test of related impurities in European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) cannot meet the demands with the chromatographic parameters given, therefore different types of chromatographic systems and eight columns have been evaluated in the present study. A new method with a Hypercarb column was developed and validated. This method fulfils the demands in the Ph. Eur., and the validation shows that the method is selective, reproducible, linear, accurate and robust with sufficient limits of detection (0.001-0.004% of 2.5 mg prilocaine mL(-1)) and quantification (0.002-0.009% of 2.5 mg prilocaine mL(-1)).