British Pharmaceutical Codex

British Pharmaceutical Codex (BPC) was a book published by the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain until 1973. It provided standards for the identity and purity of substances used in medicine and pharmacy in the United Kingdom.

History

The first edition of the BPC was published in 1907, replacing the unofficial Pharmacopoeia of the Pharmaceutical Society. The BPC was intended to be a national standard for the UK, similar to the United States Pharmacopeia and the Pharmacopoeia of India. The BPC included not only drugs and preparations that were in the British Pharmacopoeia (BP), but also additional drugs and preparations that were commonly used in the UK but not included in the BP.

Content

The BPC contained monographs for drugs and preparations, with information on their description, identification, assay, impurities, and storage. It also included general notices, general methods of analysis, and appendices on reagents and solutions, buffers, and standard solutions. The BPC also provided information on the therapeutic uses and side effects of the drugs, which was not included in the BP.

Relevance

The BPC was a valuable resource for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. It provided a comprehensive and authoritative source of information on the identity and purity of drugs and preparations used in the UK. The BPC was also used as a reference in legal cases involving drugs and medicines.

Discontinuation

The BPC was last published in 1973. It was replaced by the British National Formulary (BNF), which is now the standard reference for prescribing in the UK.

See also

• Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
• British Pharmacopoeia
• British National Formulary
• United States Pharmacopeia
• Pharmacopoeia of India