The 2003 edition of the British Pharmacopoeia is due to be available in the next few days, and from today can be ordered online. The directory contains the new standards which will be legally enforceable in the UK and European markets from 1 December.
It is supplied in three formats - a boxed five-volume set, a CD-ROM and a searchable website - which is updated regularly and is available anywhere in the world by password.
"With UK and European standards constantly changing, only the BP 2003 can assure you of complete compliance within the UK," according to the British Pharmacopoeial Commission, which develops and updates the directory.
The pharmacopoeia is published by TSO and is available to order online via the company's website.
Meanwhile, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines has published the new edition of Pharmeuropa Bio, designed to keep people up to date with the activities of the European Biological Standardisation Programme.
The latest issue, published last Friday, contains reports of the collaborative studies for the establishment of the European Pharmacopoeia Biological Reference Preparations (BRPs) for Diphtheria Toxin Batch 1 and Inactivated Poliomyelitis Vaccine (IPV) Batch 2 (for in vitro D-antigen assay).
In addition, a summary report of the collaborative study for the establishment of the global standard for anti-D-Immunoglobulin will appear in this issue. It also contains a report on a feasibility study to evaluate the correlation between results of a candidate in vitro assay and established in vivo assays for potency determination of Newcastle disease vaccines.
In addition, the European Pharmacopoeia has published the October edition of Pharmeuropa, which includes draft monographs on substances such as bovine serum, cabergoline, captopril, cefalotin, didanosine, erythropoietin, human albumin, interferon beta-1a, mycophenolate mofetil, naproxen, pentoxifylline and repaglinide, amongst others.
For more information on these new European Pharmacopoeia publications, visit the EDQM website or e-mail the publications department.