RAISING THE BAR FOR QUALITY DRUGS

IF YOUVE LOOKED AT THE LABEL ON A bottle of vitamins or a generic drug recently, you've probably seen—and ignored—the letters USP. That imprimatur ensures that the pill, capsule, or liquid contains the stated active ingredient in the concentration listed and is safe and effective. USP stands for US. Pharmacopeia, an organization whose work— so vital to society's well-being—is largely unknown, unrecognized, or overlooked by the public. USP sets and disseminates standards that ensure high-quality drugs for human and animal use. "USP is not an exciting organization unless your full-time occupation is setting drug standards," attorney Peter B. Hutt, partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm Covington & Burling and former chief Food & Drug Administration counsel laughingly tells C&EN. But, he adds, "USP is a major element in drug regulation is delegated by statue to this private organization." Before USP, chaos reigned in the compounding and dispensing of drugs. When USP was created in ...