Definition

1. Noun:
   • An official book containing a list of medicinal drugs with their effects, directions for use, and standards of purity: A pharmacopoeia is an authoritative publication, often issued by a government or medical authority, that serves as a standard reference for the quality, description, and formulation of medicines.
   • A stock or collection of drugs: In a broader or more historical sense, a pharmacopoeia can refer to the assembled medicines and drugs available in a particular place, such as a pharmacy or hospital.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The new edition of the national pharmacopoeia includes updated standards for antibiotic formulations.
  • Medicinal compounds must meet the purity criteria specified in the official pharmacopoeia.
  • The ship's surgeon checked his pharmacopoeia before treating the sick sailor. (Here, it implies the collection of drugs he had available).

Advanced Usage

• "to be listed in the pharmacopoeia": To be officially recognized and described as a standard medicine.
  • For a herbal remedy to be approved, its active ingredients must be listed in the pharmacopoeia.

Variants and Related Words

• Pharmacopoeial (adjective): Relating to or conforming to a pharmacopoeia.
  • The laboratory tests confirmed the pharmacopoeial quality of the sample.

Synonyms

• Formulary: A book containing a list of medicinal substances and formulas.
• Dispensatory: A book describing the composition, preparation, and use of medicines (similar to a pharmacopoeia but sometimes with more commentary).

Related Phrases

• Official compendium: A formal term for an authoritative collection of standards, such as a pharmacopoeia.

Noun

1. a collection or stock of drugs