Changes to Pharmacopeial Forum

The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is currently introducing some changes to the format of the USP and to its online platforms, like the Pharmacopeial Forum (PF). Amongst others USP plans to discontinue printing the USP-NF in the current format: The USP 43-NF 38 edition will be the last printed edition available. An updated Compendial Notice has been published that provides a timeline for this change.

Pharmacopeial Forum (PF)

The Pharmacopeial Forum (PF) is a bimonthly online journal in which USP publishes proposed revisions to USP–NF for public review and comment. New issues are posted online every two months at the beginning of the month. The comment period is 90-days and ends on the last day of the month.

The PF has already moved to a new online platform (starting with PF 45(1) in January 2019). The legacy PF Online platform will continue to be available for access to the old issues of PF.  However, new PF content will only be provided on the new PF Online platform and submitting comments to recent drafts is only possible via the new platform.

In line with the transition of USP-NF to an online-only publication as of USP 43–NF 38 the USP will no longer use page numbers in PF briefings when referencing official USP-NF documents. Starting with PF 46(1) in January 2020, briefings will now include the official date and DocID of the compendial version the PF proposal is based upon.

Access to Pharmacopeial Forum (PF) online is free of charge. More information about the recent changes to USP can be found in Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the USP website.