Table 1.

Comparison of tests in terms of tier category

Test type	Type of assessment	Level of training*	Facility	Equipment	Cost (USD)	Requires sample preparation	Active ingredient identification
Physical (Tier I)
Dimensions	Quantitative	Inspector*	Field	Micrometer or caliper (0.1 mm)	< 100	No	No
Weight	Quantitative	Inspector*	Field	Portable balance (0.001 g), batteries	< 100	No	No
Visual color	Qualitative	Inspector*	Field	None	0	No	No
Photometric (Tier II)
Raman (portable)	Qualitative	Inspector†	Field	Device, batteries	> 10,000	No	No
NIR (portable)	Qualitative	Inspector†	Field	Device, batteries	> 10,000	No	No
CD-3	Qualitative	Inspector†	Field	Device, batteries	∼1,000	No	No
CoDI	Qualitative	Inspector†	Field	Device, batteries	∼100	No	No
Chemical (Tier III)
TLC	Qualitative	Laboratory technician‡	Basic laboratory	TLC plates, labware, developing chamber, sprayer, chemicals	< 100	Yes	Yes
	Quantitative
	Semi-quantitative
Colorimetry  (see Table 2)	Qualitative	Laboratory technician‡	Basic laboratory	Labware, chemicals	< 100	Yes	Yes
	Quantitative
	Semi-quantitative

CD-3 = counterfeit detection device version 3; CoDI = counterfeit drug indicator; NIR = near-infrared; TLC = thin-layer chromatography; USD = U.S. dollars.

^*Little or none.

^†Moderate.

^‡High.