HPUS Relaunches Its Website
By Eric L. Foxman, Pharm. (Ret.), HPUS Senior Scientist, HPUS Chairman of Counsel on Pharmacy, and HPUS Board Member
A major upgrade and overhaul of HPUS.com, the website for the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States, is near complete. This major resource for the homeopathic industry will continue to be the official compendium for homeopathic products, as recognized by the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Every manufacturer of a homeopathic product is urged to be a subscriber to this standard-setting organization. Look for the relaunch this Spring as the reviewers are currently proofing the +1,300 monograph pages while testing and finetuning the site.
The redesigned HPUS.com will host the monographs and official information that comprise the HPUS. The changes will allow for easier access to all of this information, including a more powerful search function with results linking to details subscribers are familiar with plus (where applicable) unique information about the monograph substance, and appropriate warning label text. This provides “instant” access to consolidated monograph information, including both the descriptive and the quality tests parameters in one place. The ability to sort the monograph search results makes it possible to view groups of monographs that may be of interest for technical or research purposes.
The comprehensive database of more than 1,300 monographs is searchable by monograph name and synonyms. The improved search function permits lookups for any text in any category of information with any combination of text strings. Its subscribers have the choice to search via four methods: “with all words”, “exact phrases”, “with at least one word”, and “without” words.
Powerful side menus with indexing makes it easy to navigate guidance documents, including those for Manufacturing, Good Manufacturing Practices, and Product Labeling. The side menus also provide easy access to test procedures and definitions of reagents referred to in the monograph’s Quality Control Specification.
The redesign includes the use of photos to highlight various aspects related to the production, testing, and use of homeopathic drug products. We suggest you pay attention to the photo at the top of the home page. This spot shows various starting materials used to produce homeopathic drug products. The photo will randomly change when the home page is loaded; a different photo will be displayed out of an initial library of more than 80 full color photographs.
Concurrent with the new website launch, the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia Convention of the United States will start a new program under the impetus of Dr. William Shevin, Chair of the HPCUS Board. The Friends of the Pharmacopeia program will give additional information to those interested in the Pharmacopeia and the Conventions’ activities. That information will be available as additional web pages on HPUS.com. While none of those additional web pages will constitute a part of the official compendium, those who are Friends of the Pharmacopeia will gain insights and understandings of activities, projects, and efforts in which the Convention is engaged.
The membership fee in the Friends of the Pharmacopeia program is extremely modest. It is recommended that manufacturers and marketers of homeopathic drug products promote this source of information to your customers. The more they know and understand the standards against which their chosen drug products are made and evaluated, the more their loyalty to your products will increase. More information about the program will be forthcoming from the HPCUS as this program gets underway.
However, all subscribers will automatically also have access to every HPUS web page over and above the 1,300 monographs and approximately 200 web pages of official information restricted to subscriber-only access. This full access will include those reserved for the Friends of the Pharmacopeia, at no extra fee for subscribers.
Existing subscribers will continue to enjoy uninterrupted access — perhaps with a slight hiccough: due to the impending change to a different server, it may be necessary for subscribers to create a new login (with a new password) for access. The website developers are investigating alternatives to eliminate this minor one-time inconvenience. Subscribers are urged to watch for an email for any steps necessary for a smooth transition.
When the new HPUS.com is ready to launch, AAHP newsletter recipients will receive a courtesy email sent on behalf of the HPCUS, informing of the date of the change and any steps needed to be taken to continue to access the HPUS. Those who are subscribed to the HPCUS’ free Update Notification Email Service will receive a similar email directly from the Convention. Watch for these in the coming weeks.