Have you ever stopped to think that there is a story behind every medicinal product you pick up at the pharmacy? In fact, there are thousands of stories, thousands of people – experts – who have devoted countless weeks, months and even years to ensure that the medicines you take are safe and effective.

The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.), which sets the quality standards for medicines in Europe, is the product of scientific rigour, dedicated exchange, passion and consensus among a vast network of scientific experts from all over the world who contribute their valuable expertise – whether in biologicals, herbal medicines, chemical analyses, or other pharmaceutical fields.

In this podcast episode, you will hear from two of our experts: Gisela Fontaine, an analytical chemist from Switzerland; and Edward Bush, a scientist and pharmacopoeia specialist who joined the Ph. Eur. expert network more than 10 years ago.

Join Sarah-Taïssir Bencharif – physician, health reporter and the host of #EDQMOnAir – as she explores their stories; from why they got involved and what they’ve learned, to why this work matters so much, not just for their careers but for patients all over the world.

Are you an expert and want to learn more about the Network? Visit our dedicated Join the Network! page.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Vous êtes-vous déjà demandé comment la Pharmacopée Européenne avait vu le jour ? Et comment nous en sommes arrivé·es à un ouvrage de référence pharmaceutique unique, aujourd’hui largement utilisé dans toute l’Europe et au-delà ? Quelle est l’histoire qui nous a mené·es jusqu’ici et pourquoi est-ce important aujourd’hui ?

Dans cet épisode, Pierre Leveau, Chef du Service de la Chaîne logistique de l’EDQM, et Charlotte Lenoir, Team Leader de l’équipe Gestion du cycle de vie de l’EDQM, nous invitent à remonter le temps : des premières traces des connaissances médicinales en Chine ancienne (2800 av. J.-C.) au papyrus Ebers, en Égypte – l’un des tout premiers efforts de systématisation des formules et traitements qui ont ouvert la voie aux cadres réglementaires assurant la qualité et l’innocuité des médicaments de nos jours –, en passant par les tablettes sumériennes de Mésopotamie – qui témoignent des premières tentatives de classification et de standardisation des remèdes.

Tout au long de la discussion, vous apprendrez pourquoi la médecine est passée de la tradition orale à la forme écrite : pour permettre une diffusion plus vaste des connaissances, prévenir la falsification et assurer la sécurité des patientes et patients. Vous découvrirez aussi ce qui a motivé les pays à élaborer des textes officiels – y compris des règles de contrôle des médicaments – que les apothicaires devaient respecter.

Enfin, au fil des évolutions politiques et des déplacements de frontières, le besoin d’échanger des médicaments en période de crise a transformé la vision de normes communes en une action collective concrète et a ainsi posé les fondations d’un ouvrage de référence unique, qui contribue directement à la sécurité de millions de personnes en Europe et au-delà : la Pharmacopée Européenne.

Retrouvez Sarah-Taïssir Bencharif, médecin, journaliste de santé et hôte du podcast #EDQMOnAir, pour explorer les grandes étapes de cette évolution fascinante.

Have you ever wondered how the European Pharmacopoeia came into being? How did we arrive at a single pharmaceutical reference work now used so widely across Europe and beyond? What is the story that led us here?

In this episode, Pierre Leveau, Head of the EDQM Supply Chain Department, and Charlotte Lenoir, the EDQM’s Information Lifecycle Management Team Leader, take us on a journey through time: from accounts of medicinal knowledge in ancient China (2800 BCE), through Sumerian tablets in Mesopotamia showing early attempts to classify and standardise remedies, to Egypt’s Ebers Papyrus, one of the first efforts to systematise formulas and treatments.

Along the way, we learn why medicine moved from oral traditions to the written word – to disseminate knowledge more widely, prevent falsification and ensure patient safety – and what motivated countries to develop official texts – including rules for testing medicines – that apothecaries were required to follow.

Finally, as politics evolved and borders shifted, the need to exchange medicines in times of crisis transformed the vision of “common standards” into concrete collective action, laying the foundations for what we know today as the European Pharmacopoeia.

Join Sarah-Taïssir Bencharif, physician, health reporter and the host of #EDQMOnAir, as she explores the milestones that shaped this remarkable journey.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The EDQM is committed to improving animal welfare in the context of scientific experiments and testing. The rabbit pyrogen test (RPT), a standard safety test designed to determine the presence of certain fever-inducing contaminants called pyrogens in medicines, was added to the European Pharmacopoeia in the 1970s. Today, it is estimated that some 400 000 rabbits are used worldwide each year to perform this test. Viable alternatives exist, however, and the EDQM has been at the forefront of efforts to promote their use. In June 2024, the RPT was definitively removed from the European Pharmacopoeia texts. How was this accomplished? Gwenaël Cirefice and Emmanuelle Charton from the European Pharmacopoeia Department explain how the EDQM’s commitment to animal welfare in Europe and beyond led to such an important milestone being achieved.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.