Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As of May 1, 2023

USP provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) as a service to stakeholders and others who are seeking information regarding USP’s organization, standards, standards-setting process, and other activities. These are provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as an official interpretation of USP text, or be relied upon to demonstrate compliance with USP standards or requirements. USP does not endorse any specific brand or product. For questions not answered here, USP provides multiple routes of support by which the public may seek additional information. Questions on specific standards should be directed to the appropriate contact listed on the Scientific Support page.

To learn more about USP's Council of Experts and Expert Committees, and how you may get involved, visit our Call for Candidates FAQ page.

• Compliance with the USP–NF (en español | Português)
• Compounding
• USP Dissolution Performance Verification Test (PVT) and the USP Dissolution Performance Verification Standard – Prednisone Reference Standard (RS) Tablets (en español)
• Elemental Impurities, Rationale for USP's Proposed Standards (Português)
• Equipment (Português)
• Excipients
• Food Chemicals Codex (FCC)
• General Chapters: FAQs:
  • <698> Deliverable Volume
  • <61> Microbial Examination of Nonsterile Products: Microbial Enumeration Tests (en español)
  • <62> Microbial Enumeration of Nonsterile Products: Tests for Specified Microorganisms (en español)
  • <467> Residual Solvents (en español) (Português)
  • <601> Inhalation And Nasal Drug Products- Aerosols, Sprays, And Powders--Performance Quality Test
  • <621> Chromatography (en español) (Português)
  • <711> Dissolution (en español | Português)
  • <781> Optical Rotation
  • <795> Pharmaceutical Compounding—Nonsterile Preparations
  • <797> Pharmaceutical Compounding – Sterile Preparations
  • <800> Hazardous Drugs – Handling in Healthcare Settings
  • <823> Radiopharmaceuticals for Positron Emission Tomography-Compounding, Investigational, and Research Uses
  • <825> Radiopharmaceuticals
  • <905> Uniformity of Dosage Units (en español)
  • <1092> The Dissolution Procedure: Development and Validation (en español)
  • Implementation of USP General Chapters <232> Elemental Impurities—Limits, <233> Elemental Impurities—Procedures, and <2232> Elemental Contaminants in Dietary Supplements
• Global Health Standards
• Glycerin
• Heparin
• Identifying Official Text (en español)
• Microbiology
• Modernization of the USP Talc Monograph
• Organic Impurities
• Pending Monograph Process
• Reagents (en español | Português)
• Reagents, Reference Standards, and Impurities (Português)
• Reference Standards (en español)
• Standards-Setting Process
• USP and its Standards (Português)
• USP Council of Experts and USP Expert Committees (Português)
• USP Drug Classification System
• USP–NF Online
  • For product users (en español)
  • For product system admins
• USP Verification Services
• Water for Pharmaceutical and Analytical Purposes