Japanese Pharmacopoeia 18th Edition - English Version Now Available

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3/4 February 2026

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The English translation of the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP) 18th edition is available for download free of charge.

Legal Status

The Japanese Pharmacopoeia is the pharmaceutical standard that the Japanese Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) establishes to regulate the properties and quality of drugs.

As with other pharmacopoeias, the document is revised periodically. The 18th edition (JP18) came into effect on June 7, 2021. The text is originally prepared in Japanese and translated to English after the publication of the Japanese version. This usually is done within one year. According to the publication schedule, Supplement I to JP18 is to be published in December 2022 and Supplement II in 2024. It is planned that the 19th edition will be published in 2026.

Content of JP18 English Version

The following documents are available as PDF files:

General Notice - General Tests, Processes and Apparatus
Official Monographs (A to L)
Official Monographs (M to Z)
Crude Drugs and Related Drugs
Infrared Reference Spectra
Ultraviolet-visible Reference Spectra
General Information

Download

The English translation of the 18th version is available free of charge on the website of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. There you will also find the older editions of the pharmacopoeia.

Further information is also available in the JP Frequently Asked Questions section.