USP to Publish Spanish Translation of USP-NF; Council of Experts Named

The United States Pharmacopeia (USP, Rockville, MD, www.usp.org) will begin publishing the US Pharmacopeia–National Formulary (USP–NF) in Spanish beginning in November 2005. The Spanish version (Farmocopea de los Estados Unidos de America–Formulario Nacional) will be a scientifically exact translation of the English USP 29–NF 24 and will become official in January 2006.

 “The USP–NF Spanish version makes it easier for non-English speakers to understand and meet USP standards while also helping to fulfill our mission of providing standards for quality medicines worldwide,” commented USP Executive Vice-President and CEO Roger L. Williams, MD, in an official statement. The USP–NF provides standards of identify, strength, quality, and purity for prescription and nonprescription drug ingredients and dosage forms, dietary supplements, medical devices, and other healthcare products. Those standards are enforceable in the United States by the US Food and Drug Administration and are followed in many other countries around the world.

Linguistic Systems, Inc. (LSI, Cambridge, MA, www.linguist.com) translated the USP 29–NF 24 with help from Spanish-speaking USP staff and numerous translators in Spanish-speaking countries. LSI started from a Spanish-language glossary developed by the USP Implementation Group, which consists of volunteers representing various public health organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, and pharmacy schools in Spanish-speaking countries. USP appointed members to the Implementation Group based on their scientific expertise, understanding of the standards, and fluency in Spanish.

Enrique Fefer, PhD, chair of the Implementation Group, noted that the group played a vital role in ensuring the accuracy of the translation. “By working together, this group ensured that the USP–NF Spanish version was a mirror image of the English version and retained the stringent scientific standards established by USP,” he said in a prepared statement.

The announcement of the Spanish translation was made following USP’s 2005 convention, held March 9–13 in Washington, DC. During the convention, the USP elected 10 officers and trustees to the 2005–2010 Board of Trustees and 40 members to its 2005–2010 Council of Experts. Each Council of Experts member will chair one of 38 Standards or two cross-cutting Expert Committees for the next five years. The Standards Committees develop, revise, and approve monographs and General Chapters for the USP–NF. The two cross-cutting Expert Committees will focus on international health and safe medication use.

–Laura Bush