This summer, ASA was excited to see that the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) revised its Chapter <797>. As described in the September 2019 ASA Monitor by Drs. Rebello, Hein, Connolly and Popovich, the revisions to Chapter <797> would have decreased compliance-related misinterpretation, ambiguity and regulatory burden that anesthesiologists have faced for over a decade. The revisions included changes to the one-hour administration provision to four hours and further delineated between administration and compounding. Those revisions were to be effective on December 1, 2019.
Unfortunately, on September 23, 2019, the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) postponed the implementation of the revised Chapter <797> until further notice. Over the summer, USP received several appeals on certain provisions of the chapter and those appeals are being considered by USP. In the interim, the current official Chapter <797> (last revised in 2008) will remain official. The delay in implementing the chapter is a disappointment for...
