Farmakopeamedicines at home: a guide without self-medication

An independent guide to the safe handling of medicines. It is not a medical organisation or a pharmacy, does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist and is not connected with the former site on this domain; we do not sell or prescribe medicines.

Sources

Sources and limits

This page explains where the specific facts in the guide come from, why we write about many things in general terms and where the site's boundaries lie. It makes it easier to see what you can rely on and which questions should go only to a doctor or pharmacist.

We do not know your diagnoses or what you have been prescribed. So where the general rule ends, we send you to a professional.

— Editor's note

What we rely on

Information about the pharmacopoeia and quality standards is based on how the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation is structured, without references to specific monographs or editions. The historical note on the first Russian pharmacopoeia, published in 1778 in Latin, relies on well-established facts.

We write about international non-proprietary names based on materials from the WHO programme that assigns them, and about reporting side effects based on general information on Roszdravnadzor's pharmacovigilance. Everything to do with storage and reading the pack has been checked against the standard structure of package leaflets.

If there is no reliable source on a question, we either write in general terms or do not write about it at all. We do not invent statistics or studies.

Main sources

  • State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation
  • WHO — International Nonproprietary Names (INN) programme
  • Roszdravnadzor (Russian health watchdog) — pharmacovigilance
  • Package leaflets / instructions for medical use

What the guide does not do

Farmakopea is not a medical organisation or a pharmacy and is not connected with either the former site on this domain or the advertising that once appeared here. We do not sell medicines, take orders or publish prices, pharmacy addresses or reviews.

We do not name medicines, active substances or brands, do not give dosing schedules and do not say what to take for which condition. We do not treat dietary supplements or folk remedies as treatment.

The Ask a specialist section helps you prepare for a conversation with your doctor and pharmacist, but does not replace it. The doctor decides on treatment; if in doubt, ask a pharmacist, and if a life is at risk, call 103 or 112.

  • Quality

    What a pharmacopoeia and a monograph are, and how to check information about medicines you find online.

  • Questions

    Questions worth asking your doctor when a medicine is prescribed, your pharmacist, and anyone when a reaction appears.

  • Home

    A guide to medicines at home: the leaflet and the pack, storage, the home first-aid kit and what to do if something goes wrong.

Sources

  • State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation
  • WHO — International Nonproprietary Names (INN) programme
  • Roszdravnadzor (Russian health watchdog) — pharmacovigilance
  • Package leaflets / instructions for medical use

Information is current as of the preparation date. Rules on medicines, labelling requirements and the procedure for reporting side effects can change — always check the leaflet for your specific medicine and confirm the details with a doctor or pharmacist.