Increasing Use of USP, National Formulary (NF) and Reference Standards

International demand for USP's reference and documentary standards increased dramatically at the end of the twentieth century. In 1969, the USP was recognized in 27 countries, serving as the sole standard in Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama. A study commissioned under Kenneth Barker in the mid-1970s recommended tapping into the international market for the sale of Reference Standards, and by 1985 USP–NF standards were being utilized in 39 countries. By 1990, the list of countries officially recognizing the USP–NF had risen to 46. During this time, USP began to actively market its products abroad, especially the USP Drug Information (DI), and foreign sales of USP publications and Reference Standards began to increase steadily. Further to serve the global market, Dr. William Heller proposed and the 1985 Convention adopted a resolution that recommended that the Committee of Revision study the possibility of developing standards for drugs not marketed in the United States but sold in other countries where the USP was recognized.