Pharmacopoeia

• A pharmacopoeia is an authoritative collection of standards and guidelines for the quality, purity, and strength of drugs, excipients, and dosage forms.
• It outlines the composition, preparation, storage, and labelling requirements of pharmaceutical products, serving as a reference for healthcare professionals.

History of Pharmacopoeia

1) Early Compilations:

• Early examples include “De Materia Medica” by Dioscorides (1st century AD) and “Canon of Medicine” by Avicenna (11th century AD).

2) First National Pharmacopoeias:

• The first official pharmacopoeia, the “Dispensatorium” of Nuremberg, was published in 1546.
• The first national pharmacopoeias appeared in the 17th century, such as the Pharmacopoeia Londinensis (1618) and Pharmacopoeia Augustana (1629).

3) International Harmonization:

• In the 19th and 20th centuries, differences in national standards led to efforts for harmonization, culminating in the International Pharmacopoeia (1951) under WHO.

4) Modern Pharmacopoeias:

• Major modern pharmacopoeias include the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.), British Pharmacopoeia (BP), and Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP).

History of Pharmacy in India

• The history of pharmacy in India can be divided into four phases: ancient history, the colonial period, post-independence, and the modern era.

1) Ancient History:

• Pharmacy in India has roots in traditional systems like Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani.
• Texts like Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita describe medicinal plants and preparations.

2) Colonial Period:

• Under British rule, allopathic medicine was introduced, and the first pharmacy course was offered in 1863 at Calcutta Medical College.

3) Post-Independence:

• After 1947, the Pharmacy Act of 1948 established the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) to regulate the profession. The first B. Pharm course started in 1953.
• The government promoted the pharmaceutical industry, and the 1970 Patent Act spurred the growth of generic drug production.

4) Modern Era:

• Post-1990s liberalization led to the expansion of the pharmaceutical industry, making India a leading producer of generic drugs.
• Pharmacy education diversified with courses like D.Pharm, M.Pharm, and Pharm.D. Key regulatory bodies include PCI, IPA, AICTE, and NIPER.

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