Impurities

Dr. Greg Amidon, member of USP’s Council of Experts Nominating Committee and President-Elect of AAPS, discusses the importance of volunteering.

With the debate about the safety of food additives recently revived in the media, proper identification of the additives themselves is an aspect of food safety often forgotten. It is assumed food ingredients are well known before safety assessments are performed, but that might not be always true.  

Here in the United States, we enjoy one of the safest drug and food supplies in the world. It is a huge accomplishment, and the result of a vast safety net created by the coordinated efforts of multiple government agencies, health organizations, industry and non-profits. This article explains the role they play in ensuring that drug, drug ingredients, dietary supplements and food ingredients sold in the U.S. can be safely consumed.

What are medicine impurities and from where do they come? Identifying and describing impurities is a critical safety issue concerning manufacturers, regulators, and patients. This post describes the types of impurities found in medicines and how they may impact drug quality.