INTRODUCTION TO OFFICIAL AND UN OFFICIAL BOOKS

INTRODUCTION TO OFFICIAL AND UN OFFICIAL BOOKS

The books containing the standards of drugs and related substances are known as Pharmacopoeias & Formularies, collectively these books are known as Drug Compendia.

The word pharmacopoeia is derived from two Greek words; Pharmakon means drug and Poieo means make.

Literally it means that it is a list of medicinal substances, crude drugs and formulae for making preparations from them.

Drug compendia include information of drugs (monographs of drugs) regarding theirSource Their descriptions Tests for analysis Formula for preparing the same formulationActions and uses of drugsDoseStorage conditions etc.

These books are revised from time to time so as to introduce the latest information and available as early as possible as they become established. In order to introduce new products and to keep the size of the book within reasonable limits, it becomes necessary to omit certain less frequently used drugs from each new edition of the book. Therefore in each new edition of these books, some new monographs are added while older ones are deleted. For the preparation of these books, the expert opinion of pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical practioners, and teachers is obtained.

Classification of drug compendia

The drug compendia are classified as:

Official Compendia

Un official Compendia

OFFICIAL COMPENDIA:

Official compendia are the compilations of drugs and related substances which are recognized as legal standards of purity (%age of active component) , quality and strength by a government agency of respective countries of their origin.

These books are prepared under the authority of the government of the respective countries. (drug regulatory authority)

Official compendia include:

British pharmacopoeia (B.P.)

British pharmaceutical codex (B.P.C.)

United States pharmacopoeia (U.S.P.)

Pakistan pharmacopoeia (P.P.)

European pharmacopoeia (E.P)

British national formulary (B.N.F)

Difference between British pharmacopoeia (B.P) and British pharmaceutical codex (B.P.C.)B.P.C contains many more drugs and preparations; some which might be deleted in British pharmacopoeia as they are not prepared frequently now a days.B.P.C. contains information on the actions, uses, undesirable effects (side effects), precautions, and treatment of drug poisoning not included in British pharmacopoeia.B.P.C. also provides information regarding the surgical dressings and other related substances which are not discussed in British pharmacopoeia

UN OFFICIAL COMPENDIA:

The books other than official drug compendia are used as secondary source of reference for drugs and related substances are known as non official compendia. These are:Merck indexRemington s pharmaceutical sciencesThe united state dispensatory etc.