Originally Published PMPN January 2005
NEWS
USP, Health Canada Form AgreementThe U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) has announced a collaborative research agreement with Health Canada’s Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate. Under the terms of the agreement, which was signed in September, Health Canada laboratories will assist in the testing and characterization of candidate reference standards as part of the USP Reference Standards Development Process. Results of the testing will be included in the reports submitted to USP’s Reference Standards Committee for final approval.
Although Canadian experts have been involved in the Reference Standards program since it began, this collaborative agreement marks the first time Health Canada has been formally involved in one of USP’s most important programs.
“I am pleased to see the long-standing collaboration between our scientists formalized with this agreement,” said Diane C. Gorman, assistant deputy minister at Health Canada. “This project will help to ensure the availability of USP Reference Standards used for testing the quality and safety of drugs in Canada, the United States, and throughout the world.”
USP vice president of monograph and reference standards development Ronald G. Manning, PhD, added, “We view the agreement with Health Canada as a significant step towards providing high-quality standards for medicines produced globally.”
Currently, USP offers more than 1630 reference standards for pharmaceuticals, excipients, and dietary supplements. USP also employs rigorous review processes and quality control checks to ensure reference standards of the highest quality and integrity. Copyright ©2005 Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News
