| |
The Homœopathic Pharmacopœia Revision Service, also known as the subscription service began in December, 1988. One or two revisions are published each year. The current purchase includes updates through December of the current year. These revisions contain revised material from the Homœopathic Pharmacopœia of the United States, Eighth Edition, Volume 1 published in 1979 with is no longer official.
Traditionally, the HPUS was published as a hard cover text with revisions as necessary, generally every decade. However in the mid 1980's, the HPCUS resolved to change the format of the HPUS to a Revision Service that would be updated annually. The revision service was first published in 1988 and has been updated once or twice yearly since inception. Thus a subscriber should purchase the HPUS basic volume and annual subscriptions thereafter. The HPUS is published in binder form to facilitate ease of updating.
Because it is specifically designed to constitute a continuously updated statement of Homœopathic Pharmacopœia standards and monographs as recognized by the HPCUS, the Revision Service is printed in a series of loose-leaf binders that has replaced the three previous volumes as the official compendium recognized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and is being sold on a subscription basis that covers the original cost of the Revision Service and periodic updates.
The Revision Service, appropriately updated, thus constitutes the official compendium of homeopathy. To be consistent with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the official name of the Revision Service is the "Homœopathic Pharmacopœia of the United States/Revision Service." The official abbreviation is "HPRS."
The HPUS Revision Service is produced from the standpoint of safety, efficacy, and standardization, and also establishes tables that identify those remedies that are potentially toxic, and indicate minimum potency levels in which those remedies may be sold.
The Revision Service provides a clear set of standards for the manufacturer of homeopathic drug products. This task is accomplished in several ways: First, there is one compilation in one place that constitutes the official compendium. Second, the establishment of monographs provides uniform products when manufactured under HPRS methods. Third, the assignment of these monographs into classes that carefully recognize the characteristics of the crude material aids standardization. Fourth, the development of standards for testing and measuring the material and processes helps establish a uniform quality control mechanism. Fifth, the codification of minimum dispensable potencies and alcohol percentages of homeopathic tinctures clarifies present practices.
All standards and controls contained in the Homöopathisches Arzneibuch (HAB) or the Pharmacopée Française (FP) for substances that have official monographs listed in the HPUS, are incorporated into the HPUS Revision Service.
