Pharmacopoeia

What is Pharmacopoeia

• A book of standards applicable to drugs and their common dosage forms and pharmaceutical aids published in a country under the authority of its own government.
• These books provide standard set of drugs and their manufacturing in a unified list which will avoid confusion caused by different national standards
• Examples :- Indian Pharmacopoeia (I.P.), United States Pharmacopoeia (U.S.P), British Pharmacopoeia (B.P), Chinese Pharmacopoeia (Ch.P)
• World Health Organization (W.H.O) also promotes Pharmacopoeia Internationalis, It is widely used by many under developed countries.

History of Pharmacopoeia

• Pharmacopoeia is formed from Greek word “Pharmakon” + “Poiea” meaning “Drug” + “ To make or study”
• Although older writings exist which deal with herbal medicine, in all around the world from different writers in Greek, Egypt, Arabs, China And India e.g. Papyrus in Egypt, De Materia Medica by Pedanius Dioscorides in Greek, Sushrut Samhita, Charak Samhita from Vedic age.
• Pharmacopoeia got an authorized status in 16^th century, So many books printed as a set of medicine study in different parts of Europe like in Bergamo Italy first book was published in 1580,  Basel, Switzerland, in 1561 by A. Foes etc.
• Later, Pharmacopoeia Londinensis was published in 1618 and being followed by British territories till 1851.
• The first British Pharmacopoeia was published in 1864. This book was made to unified London, Edinburgh & Dublin pharmacopoeia. Second edition was published in 1867.
• After 1947, British government declared to release successive updates every 05 years
• As far as United States Pharmacopoeia is concerned the first print was published in 1820. 

Few Images of historical books

Pharmacopoeia Internationalis

• The International Pharmacopoeia or Pharmacopoeia Internationalisis published by WHO in 1951, Vol-II in 1955, supplement in 1959.
• Edition II in 1967, supplement in 1971
• Edition III  Vol-I in 1979, Vol-II in 1981, Vol-III in 1988

Latest version is 9^th edition of 2019 which includes below mentioned volumes

• General methods of analysis
• WHO Essential Drugs List
• Quality Specifications of instrument used in pharmaceutical industry.
• Quality specifications of dosage forms
• Test and general requirements dosage form

Note: - Beside above mentioned points other requirements related to disease management also mentioned in pharmacopoeia 

Indian Pharmacopoeia

History of Indian Pharmacopoeia

• British East India Company has published Bengal Pharmacopoeia in 1844, which was copied from London Pharmacopoeia.
• From 1885, British Pharmacopoeia was made official in Indian Territory.
• In 1927 a local Pharmacopoeia by the name of National Pharmacopoeia was published after recommendation from Government authorities.
• Later, As per Drugs & Cosmetics act 1940, & letter no 2338 H(C)/43 dated 26 January 1944 directed by Drugs Technical Advisory Act, the first book was published by the name of The Indian Pharmacopoeial List in 1946

Edition	Year	Addendum/Supplement
1st Edition	1955	Supplement 1960
2nd Edition	1966	Supplement 1975
3rd Edition	1985	Addendum 1989
		Addendum 1991
4th Edition	1996	Addendum 2000
		Vet Supplement 2000
		Addendum 2002
		Addendum 2005
5th Edition	2007	Addendum 2008
6th Edition	2010	Addendum 2012
7th Edition	2014	Addendum 2015
		Addendum 2016
8th Edition	2018	Addendum 2019