PHARMACEUTICS

In the United States, the first pharmacopoeia was published in December 1820 both in English and in Latin. Later on a National Formulary was also published in addition to U.S.P. (United States Pharmacopoeia). The object of the U.S.P.ws to select from substances the ones which possess medicinal power, converted them into preparation of suitable composition in order to enhance their power to the maximum advantage.                            The first International Pharmacopoeia was published by the World Health Organization in 1951 (Volume I) and in 1955 (Volume II). The object of this was to provide a uniform list which would avoid the confusion caused by different national standards, strengths and names especially for the use of travelers who might need to use the same prescription in different countries. First Edition of Pharmacopoeia of India Fifth Editi...

The Indian Pharmacopoeia 2007 is presented in three volumes. Volume I contains the general notes, preface, the structure of the IPC, Introduction and general chapters. Volume II deals with the general monographs on drug substances, dosage forms and pharmaceutical aids. Volume III contains monographs on drug substances, dosage forms, pharmaceutical aids, vaccines and immunosera for human use, herbs and herbal products, blood and blood related products, biotechnology products and veterinary products. General chemical tests for identification have been almost eliminated and more specific infrared and ultraviolet spectrophotometric tests have been given. The test for pyrogens involving the use of animals has been virtually eliminated. The test for bacterial endotoxins has been introduced. The test for abnormal toxicity is now confined to certain vaccines. The use of chromatographic methods has been extended in assays to large number of pharmaceutical products. 6. Labeling and storage ...

The new analytical techniques such as Flame Photometry, Flurometry, Electrophoresis and Photometric Haemoglobinometry have been introduced as official method for certain chemical analysis. Dissolution Test has been introduced in the case of certain tablets. Disintegration Test has been amended by modifying the design of the apparatus and method of testing. A microbial limit test has been prescribed for certain pharmaceutical aids and oral liquid preparations. The Pyrogen Test has been revised to make the test less time-consuming than the previous method. Gas Liquid Chromatography has been recognized as an alternative method for the determination of alcohol concentration in various preparations. The test for determination of viscosity has been modified by the introduction of other methods involving the use of Ostwald Viscometer. The new appendix on “Water for Pharmaceutical Use” use been introduced to clearly indicate the different official standard in respect of purif...

The titles of monographs have been changed from Latin to English. The words of the title have been transposed to give the name of the drug first e.g. Injection of Aminophylline has been changed to Aminophylline Injection. Doses are expressed in the metric system only. Solubility is expressed in parts of solvent per unit part of solute. The preparations of a drug have been given immediately after the monograph on the parent drug. The test for sterility has been modified to provide for detection of fungi in addition to aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. New analytical techniques such as non-aqueous titrimetry, column chromography have been included. In the monographs of “Tablets” and “Injections”, a new sub-heading “Usual Strength” has been given to represent the strength of the tablet or injection in which it should be generally marketed. The Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, vide their resolution No.X19014/1/77-D & M...

The title of monographs have been given in Latin language. Abbreviated titles for use in prescription have been given immediately below the Latin title. The English title has also been given below the abbreviation title. The weights and measures have been given in metric system. All statements contained in the individual monographs have been considered as constitute standards for the official substances. Doses are expressed both in the metric system as well as in the English system. A list of preparations has been given at the end of some of the monographs. The temperature has been expressed in Celsius thermometric scale. The descriptive terms (very soluble, freely soluble, sparingly soluble, slightly soluble, very slightly soluble, practically insoluble) have been used where the exact solubility of a pharmacopoeial substance is not known. The tenure of the first Indian Pharmacopoeial Committee expired in 1954, and the Committee was reconstituted under the chairmanship of Dr. ...

         The Government of India through its letter No. 2338 H(C)/43 dated 26 January, 1944, directed the Drugs Technical Advisory Board list the drugs used in India, which are not mentioned in British Pharmacopoeia and also recommend the standards to be prescribed to maintain uniformity and the chemical tests to be used to establish identity and purity. The Government of India published the Indian Pharmacopoeial List in 1946, as a supplement to the British Pharmacopoeia. The term “List” in the title was “misleading” in that, the book not only contained a list of drugs which were of substantial medicinal value but also laid down standards.                               The Indian Pharmacopoeial List contained about 180 monographs and a number of appendices prepared on the lines of...

List of Pharmacopeias:     a) Argentine b) Austrian c) Belgian d) Brazilian e) British f) Chinese g) Egyptian h) European i) French j) German k) Hungarian l) Indian m) International n) Italian o) Japanese p) Yugoslavian q) Mexican r) Netherlands s) Nordic t) Polish u) Portuguese v) Rumanian w) Russian  x) Spanish y) Turkish z) United state.             

                            The term Pharmacopoeia comes from the Greek word “Pharmakon” meaning ‘drug’ and ‘Poiein’ meaning ‘make’, and the combination means any recipe or formula or other standard required to make or prepare a drug.          The term ‘Pharmacopoeia’ was first used in 1580 in a book on drug standards printed in Bergamo, Italy. After that a number of national pharmacopoeias were published by various European Pharmacopoeias- the London, the Edinburgh and the Dublin pharmacopoeia were official throughout the kingdom. Each pharmacopoeia described different strength and method of preparation for the same preparation. Hence there was a lot of confusion. To overcome this difficulty, the first British Pharmacopoeia came into existence in 1...