Pharmacopeial Forum (PF) Redesign

USP is revising its timetable for the Pharmacopeial Forum (PF) redesign, which was first announced on this page on October 1, 2008. The revised timetable is as follows:

• A new Guideline on the use of accelerated processes for revisions to the USP-NF (Interim Revision Announcements (IRAs), Revision Bulletins, and Errata) will be posted to the USP Web site in December of 2008, and become effective in January 2009, as originally announced;
• During 2009 and 2010, approved IRAs and Errata will continue to be published in PF, but will also be posted on the USP Web site;
• PF will continue as a paid, subscription-only publication available in both print and online versions until January 1, 2011;
• Effective January 2, 2011, PF will be converted to an on-line only, freely available publication that contains only proposed revisions out for public comment. Other information currently contained in PF will be moved to the USP Web site or into other USP publications.

USP is changing its previously-announced timetable for a number of reasons. These include:

• Value to customers in having continued access to both print and online versions of PF;
• Value to USP, in the current difficult financial climate, of the revenue provided by PF subscriptions. This revenue helps to support the crucial scientific work needed to sustain and advance USP's compendia. USP will use the intervening time to develop replacement revenue sources that will enable it to pursue the initial goal of making PF freely available to the public; and
• Value to customers of not introducing multiple changes over a short time. The extended PF redesign timetable will allow USP to complete its monograph redesign transition, and allow users time to adapt to this change before PF is significantly modified.

USP regrets any confusion caused by this change in plans. You may address questions to Susan de Mars, Chief Legal Officer, at .

If you have any questions about PF subscriptions, please contact USP Customer service at or +1-301-881-0666, 1-800-227-8772 (U.S. and Canada), or 00-800-4875-5555 (Europe).