compendial

Compendial is an adjective meaning relating to a compendium, especially an official reference work that codifies standards for a field. In pharmaceutical science, compendial standards are the specifications and test methods published by pharmacopoeias such as the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.), and the British Pharmacopoeia (BP). A product or substance described as compendial conforms to one or more of these official monographs.

Compendial tests and methods are those officially published and permitted for routine quality control; laboratories may use compendial methods to test raw materials, intermediates, and finished products. Compendial requirements are legally recognized in many jurisdictions and are often a baseline for regulatory approval and batch release. There can be overlap with non-compendial standards when products require additional specifications for specialized use or novel formulations.

Etymology: the term derives from compendium, a concise but comprehensive collection or summary. In practice, “compendial” denotes alignment with established pharmacopoeial criteria, which serve as a framework for quality, identity, purity, strength, and labeling of medicines and related substances. See also pharmacopoeia, monograph, and standardization.