OREANDA-NEWS. March 25, 2013. By the Decision of the Council of Europe, Ukraine became the 38th member of the European Pharmacopoeia.

November 20, 2012 came into force the Law of Ukraine dated on 16.10.2012 № 5441-VI "On Ukraine's accession to the Convention on the elaboration of a European Pharmacopoeia as amended by the Protocol thereto", which ended the procedure of ratification of the Convention by our state. Thus, Ukraine became a full member of the European Pharmacopoeial Commission with voting power.

Note that the member states of the Council of Europe and some other countries signed and ratified on 22 July, 1964 year Convention on the Elaboration of a European Pharmacopoeia as amended by the Protocol thereto. Text amended according to the provisions of Protocol to the Convention on the Elaboration of a European Pharmacopoeia (ETS No. 134), which entered into force on 1 November 1992.

The Convention was developed by Council of Europe in order to establish uniform pharmacopoeial standards of quality of medicines, matching the specifications for medicines in their original state or in the form of pharmaceutical preparations of common concern and importance to the peoples of Europe, the development of specifications of medicines appearing on the market, the gradual introduction of common for European countries pharmacopoeia.

Ukraine's ratification of the Convention reflects the desire of the Ukrainian state to participate in the development of European standards for the quality of medicines and strengthen cooperation with the European countries in the field of medicines and health care in order to exchange knowledge and experience to improve public health. Also, it shows the importance of the work of the Commission of the European Pharmacopoeia internationally.

The purpose of the Convention is the gradual development of European Pharmacopoeia, which is common to all Member States and which defines a common set of specifications and test methods - formal standards operating in these countries for active substances and auxiliary substances used in medicines.