British Pharmacopoeia

The British Pharmacopoeia (pronounced: /ˈfɑːrməkoʊpiːə/; etymology: from Ancient Greek φάρμακον, pharmakon, "drug", and ποιεῖν, poiein, "to make") is a publication of the British Pharmacopoeia Commission, under the auspices of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It is an authoritative and comprehensive collection of standards for medicines, healthcare products and medical devices in the United Kingdom.

History

The British Pharmacopoeia was first published in 1864 by the General Medical Council. It combined standards for medicines from the London, Edinburgh and Dublin pharmacopoeias. The publication has been regularly updated and republished since then, with the most recent edition being the 2021 version.

Content

The British Pharmacopoeia includes monographs for drug substances, excipients, and formulated preparations, along with reference standards. It also provides general notices, general methods for analysis, and appendices. The monographs provide standards of identity, quality, purity, and strength.

Importance

The British Pharmacopoeia is legally effective in the UK. The standards it sets are legally enforceable by the MHRA. It is also recognised internationally and contributes to ensuring public health in other countries by sharing its high-quality pharmaceutical standards.

Related Terms

Pharmacopoeia: A book containing directions for the identification of compound medicines, and published by the authority of a government or a medical or pharmaceutical society.
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA): The UK's regulator of medicines, medical devices and blood components for transfusion.
General Medical Council (GMC): An independent organisation that helps to protect patients and improve medical education and practice across the UK.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on British Pharmacopoeia
Wikipedia's article - British Pharmacopoeia

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British Pharmacopoeia