New India pharmacopoeia by year end

Posted AtThe Financial Express

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is planning to bring out a new edition of the Indian pharmacopoeia (IP), a set of reference standards that govern the manufacture of drugs in the country, by end 2006.

The current edition of IP was published in 1996, and the industry had been demanding that the IP be revised to include new developments in the pharmaceuticals sphere. Speaking at the 9th IDMA-Pharmaceutical Analysts’ Convention 2006 here on Monday, Dr GN Singh, Sec-.cum-Sci. director, IPC, also said that 50 reference standards will be included in the new edition in the first year, followed by 250 in course of time.

Dr Singh also said that the IPC will like to collaborate with the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM), which publishes the European Pharmacopoeia (EP) to evolve a common format for the standards.

The EP lays down compulsory standards for medicines that is mandatory across 34 states in Europe. Dr Agnes Artiges, director, EDQM, said that the sixth edition of EP will be launched in 2007.

January 24, 2006