The Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group (PDG) has inducted the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) as a permanent group member, earlier this month. The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to serve as an observer of the group.

The objective is to reduce manufacturers’ burden of having to perform analytical procedures in different ways, using different acceptance criteria, in order to satisfy requirements that vary across regions.

Typically, pharmacopoeia in the modern parlance is defined as a book that contains directions for identification of compound medicines and published by an authority (Government) or a medical or pharmaceutical society.

India was inducted as part of the PDG after a one-year pilot phase, based on IPC’s involvement, contribution and future potential.

Post the induction, the PDG, will bring together the European Pharmacopoeia, Japanese Pharmacopoeia and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) to “harmonise global pharmacopoeial standards”, the Centre said in a statement.