Abstract

The pervasiveness of poor-quality medicines in low- and middle-income countries inhibits improvements in public health, erodes trust in health systems, results in treatment failures, and sometimes leads to patient death. The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) offers voluntary interlaboratory comparison testing schemes for Official Medicines Control Laboratories. USP’s testing schemes serve as a critical tool to strengthen lab capacity, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The testing program benefits participating labs by strengthening quality management systems and testing capabilities.