Farmakopéia

Farmakopéia refers to an official publication containing detailed information about medicinal drugs. It serves as a compendium of standards for the quality, purity, and strength of pharmaceutical substances and preparations. These standards are established by regulatory authorities or professional bodies and are legally binding within a specific jurisdiction.

A farmakopéia typically includes monographs for individual drugs, outlining their chemical structure, physical and chemical properties, methods for identification and assay, limits for impurities, and storage conditions. It also provides general chapters on pharmaceutical techniques, analytical methods, and excipients. The primary purpose of a farmakopéia is to ensure the safety and efficacy of medicines available to the public by setting consistent quality benchmarks for manufacturers and regulatory bodies.

The content of a farmakopéia is usually developed and updated periodically by committees of experts in pharmacology, chemistry, pharmacy, and medicine. Major farmakopéias include the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.), and the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP). These reference works are crucial for pharmacists, drug manufacturers, researchers, and regulatory agencies worldwide in maintaining the quality of pharmaceutical products.