Staff Expertise/Facilities

USP DQI staff and their areas of expertise

The USP staff who implement the USP DQI program include internationally trained doctors, scientists, and chemists with specialties in—

international public health
drug and medical information
pharmaceutical sciences
pharmacovigilance
Good Manufacturing Practices

USP DQI staff have access to state-of-the-art laboratory technology and over 650 USP volunteer experts.

USP Laboratories

USP laboratories are officially accredited to ISO 17025:2005 standards, which demonstrates that USP's testing and calibration results are technically valid. It also removes the need for retesting products in different countries. The accreditation also challenges USP to continuously improve the quality and technical competency of its laboratories and personnel.

USP has two laboratories located in Rockville, Maryland—one that specializes in drug quality testing and the research and development of high quality reference standards. The second laboratory produces and packages those reference standards for distribution around the world.

USP launched its first international site with a state-of-the-art office and laboratory in Hyderabad, India, in February 2006 and, in February 2007, opened a second facility in Shanghai, China. The USP-India site will work closely with the Indian Pharmacopeia and pharmaceutical manufacturers to promote the manufacture of good-quality medicines, dietary supplements, and their ingredients for use in India, the United States, and other countries around the world. The USP-China facility will enable USP to work with Chinese manufacturers, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and other constituencies to ensure the quality of medicines.

Council of Experts

The Council of Experts is the body that makes USP's scientific and standards-setting decisions. Members of the council are elected by the USP Convention membership. Each council member serves as the chair of an Expert Committee for a five-year term. The chairs elect the members of the Expert Committees who also serve five-year terms. The Council of Experts and its Expert Committees provide the scientific foundation for USP's public health products and programs. See a list of USP Expert Committees chairs and members.