title: Pharmacopoeia as a pharmaceutical code for public health authorities.
abstract: In every country drug control depends on the existence of technical norms which are generally represented by the Pharmacopoeia. In effects, since the beginning of XIII century, when the profession of pharmacist was for the first time established by law, pharmacopoeias have had not only the purpose of supplying the composition and the preparation of drugs, but also to establish and enforce the quality of the drugs. In the present times the pharmacopoeias adopted throughout the world by the different countries are intended mainly as a codex of specifications for the control of drug quality. These pharmacopoeias are national, regional and international. Nevertheless several difficulties can be found in the use of the pharmacopoeias for control of drugs, owing to the fact that not all the drugs, allowed and in therapeutical use are included in pharmacopoeias, and also because, in some cases, the final control is not sufficient to establish drug quality especially in the case of biological preparations. The existence of a Formulary or "Codex", beyond pharmacopoeia, may be of help for the control authorities but generally is not sufficient. Some suggestions are made in order to envisage a modern pharmacopoeia, considered as a dynamic collection of specifications of drug quality, always up to date, and thus in condition to fulfil its task for the need of the drug control by the health authorities in the aim of a better protection of public health.
mesh_terms: D005060:Europe; D010602:Pharmacopoeias as Topic; D011635:Public Health Administration