Brussels Pharmacopoeia Agreement (1902)
| Agreement respecting the Unification of Pharmacopoeial Formulas for Potent Drugs | |
|---|---|
Delegates at the 1902 International Pharmacopoeia Conference, Rue de la Loi 16, Brussels | |
| Type | Treaty |
| Context | Harmonization of pharmacopoeias |
| Drafted | 20 September 1902 |
| Signed | 29 November 1906 |
| Location | Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brussels, Belgium |
| Effective | 29 December 1906 |
| Expiry | 1929 |
| Mediators | |
| Negotiators | |
| Original signatories | |
| Depositary | |
| Language | French |
The Agreement respecting the Unification of Pharmacopoeial Formulas for Potent Drugs, informally known as the 1902 Brussels Pharmacopoeia Agreement (French: Officially in French: Arrangement International pour l’Unification de la Formule des Médicaments Héroïques), was an international treaty to harmonize the monographs of certain medical substances between national pharmacopoeias, negotiated in 1902 and signed in 1906.[1] It was succeeded by the 1925 Brussels Pharmacopoeia Agreement.[2]
Background
The first international pharmaceutical congress was held in Strasbourg in 1867, and emitted the wish that an international pharmacopoeia be compiled.[3] There were subsequently dozens of international pharmaceutical congresses in Europe which prepared the entreprise.
1902 Brussels Conference
From 15 to 20 September 1902, pharmacists from Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Greece, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, and the UK (Portugal were announced but excused) met in Brussels to discuss a possible international pharmacopoeia. Dr. A. Devaux, Belgian Inspector general for hygiene, was elected Conference President.[4]
They finally agreed on a list of 49 harmonized monographs (41 of which included specifications for preparation)[5] for pharmaceutical preparations such as iodine, cocaine, opium. Through this binding multilateral treaty,[6] States pledged to unify pharmacopoeial standards by including the unified nomenclature and formulas when revising their national pharmacopoeias.
1906 Signature
Four years later, 18 delegations (all European countries with the exception of the United States) met at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 29 November 1906 for a ceremony of signature of the final Agreement, which had only been revised formally.[1]
However, the treaty had weak enforcement mechanisms, poor administrative provisions, and implementation was uneven. Funding reluctance, the outbreak of the World War I, and the rise of the League of Nations finished to convince the need to revise the 1902/1906 Agreement.[6] Following World War I and in light of growing international pharmaceutical trade and the League of Nations' emerging role in public health,[7] a revised treaty was negotiated in 1925.
See also
- Brussels Pharmacopoeia Agreement (1925)
- The International Pharmacopoeia
- European Pharmacopoeia
- International Opium Convention
- League of Nations
- International Office of Public Hygiene
- World Health Organization
- International Pharmaceutical Federation
References
- ^ a b "International agreement respecting the unification of the pharmacopoeial formulas for potent drugs : signed at Brussels, November 29, 1906 / presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of His Majesty". Wellcome Collection. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ World Health Organization (2008). "WHO Expert committee on specifications for pharmaceutical preparations: Forty-second report (WHO Technical Report Series 948)". www.who.int. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ Volckringer, Jean (1953). "Evolution et Unification des Formulaires et des Pharmacopées". Imprimeries-Editions Paul Brandouy. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
- ^ Belgian Academy of Medicine (1902). Conférence internationale pour l'unification de la formule des médicaments héroïques, Bruxelles 1902 : Procès verbaux des séances. Brussels: Imprimerie et Litographie A. Lesigne. p. 18.
- ^ Power, F. B. (1903). "THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR THE UNIFICATION OF THE FORMULAE OF POTENT MEDICAMENTS". www.proquest.com. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
- ^ a b Riboulet-Zemouli, Kenzi (2025-12-31). "1925–2025: a century of international pharmaceutical law". Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice. 18 (1): 2470840. doi:10.1080/20523211.2025.2470840. PMC 11892055. PMID 40066186.
- ^ Howard-Jones, Norman (1978). International public health between the two world wars: The organisational problems (PDF) (History of International Public Health, 3 ed.). World Health Organization.