International Meetings of World Pharmacopoeias

A pharmacopoeia is a legally-binding collection, prepared by a national or regional authority, of standards and quality specifications for medicines used in that country or region.

Some 60 pharmacopoeias (national, regional and subregional and international) are listed in the index compiled by WHO.

WHO initiated steps based on discussion during meetings of the International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities (ICDRA), especially the 10th ICDRA meeting held in Hong Kong in 2002, and a further discussion among regulators during the 11th ICDRA meeting held in Madrid in 2004, to organize an official meeting entitled International meeting of world pharmacopoeias for participation of all WHO Member States' pharmacopoeias worldwide, be they national, regional or international.