WHO INTERNATIONAL CHEMICAL REFERENCE SUBSTANCES (ICRS)

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EDQM / WHO ICRS Collaboration

The EDQM and the World Health Organization (WHO) are pleased to announce that EDQM is responsible for the distribution of WHO's International Chemical Reference Substances (ICRS).

The EDQM takes over responsibility for the establishment, preparation, storage and distribution of WHO ICRS from Apoteket AB, previously the WHO Collaborating Centre for ICRS. Reference material that was held and distributed by Apoteket AB will now be distributed by the EDQM.

ICRS are adopted by the WHO Expert Committee on Specifications for Pharmaceutical Preparations. They are supplied primarily for use in physical and chemical tests and assays described in the specifications for quality control of drugs published in the International Pharmacopoeia.

The EDQM will also organise international collaborative studies to establish new standards when required with WHO's assistance.

Online Database

Please consult the International Chemical Reference Substances database to:

Find information on what standards are available
Download the leaflet and safety data sheet

Click on the 'Category Number' to obtain more detailed information.

How to order

You can place an order for ICRS using the online order form, the official EDQM ICRS Order Form or your organisation's official order form. To submit an order to the EDQM online, please fill in the online order form and click 'Submit Order'.

Before you order

Please make sure all the fields marked with an asterisks (*) are filled out.
Remember to check the availability of the reference standards before ordering and to use the information in the database to complete the order form.
We will not accept e-mail orders without an official company order form.

For more information, please read 'How to order reference standards'