USP Members

Member Memo

November 4, 2009

The 2010 Convention Is Only 6 Months Away — Appoint Your Convention Delegate and Alternate — The Second Call to the Convention has been mailed to all member organizations and delegates. The Second Call to the meeting encourages any member— eligible organization without representation to appoint an individual as soon as possible to serve as the USP delegate. At this time, Alternate Delegates also may be appointed (details provided in the Second Call, which was mailed the week of October 19), if there is a possibility the Delegate will not be able to attend the meeting.

New USAID–USP Cooperative Agreement Addresses Substandard and Counterfeit Medicines in Developing Countries — The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and USP have launched a new five-year program, Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM). PQM builds on the decade of work of the very successful USAID–USP predecessor program, Drug Quality and Information (DQI).

USP Awards Fellowships for Research on Drugs and Botanicals — USP congratulates the following graduate students whose research on quality issues for drugs and botanicals is being supported by the 2009-2010 USP Fellowship Program:

Paul Gavaza — University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy
Tanja Gödecke — University of Illinois, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy
Kristyn Greco — University of Connecticut, School of Pharmacy
John Limitiaco — University of California, Riverside
Vanisree Mulabagal — Auburn University Department of Pharmacal Sciences, Harrison School of Pharmacy
Archana Rawat — University of Connecticut, School of Pharmacy

Redesigned USP–NF Improves Ease of Use — Customers and other users of the United States Pharmacopeia–National Formulary (USP–NF) will find more consistent language and a new outline format in USP 33–NF 28 in November 2009. A preview of the monograph redesign is also available.

Submit Comments on Elemental Impurities Standards — New General Chapters on Elemental Impurities Limits and Methods as well as Dietary Supplements Metals Limits have been posted on the USP Web site and will be published in the January-February 2010 issue of Pharmacopeial Forum [PF 36(1)]. Comments on the new standards may be submitted to Kahkashan Zaidi, Ph.D., Senior Scientific Liaison, () until April 15, 2010.

Public Campaign Warns of Dangers of Counterfeit Medicines in Cambodia and Greater Mekong Subregion — A public service announcement (PSA) campaign is being launched in Cambodia by USAID and USP, with the cooperation and support of Cambodian authorities, as part of a large scale effort to combat the devastating consequences of counterfeit medicines on people in developing countries.

Supply of Blood Thinner Heparin Further Secured — The second stage revisions to USP heparin standards became effective October ^1st and are now enforceable in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The revised standards include modernized monographs, with updated tests, and accompanying reference materials. In addition, dosage measurement units have been harmonized with World Health Organization measurements, resulting in more uniform worldwide standards.

USP is on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook — USP has recently launched pages on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube — Internet social media sites. To follow USP on social media, use the links below:

Board Decisions — Read a summary of the decisions made by the USP Board so far in 2009.

Copy to Executive Officers 09-16