USP

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

USP
Stands forUnique selling proposition
Meanings2
CategoriesBusiness & Finance, Medical

USP has two meanings. It stands for Unique selling proposition (marketing & advertising) or United States Pharmacopeia (pharmacy).

Meanings of USP at a glance

#USP stands forContext
1Unique selling propositionBusiness & Finance › Marketing & Advertising
2United States PharmacopeiaMedical › Pharmacy

1. Unique selling proposition

Business & Finance · Marketing & Advertising Abbreviations

Distinctive benefit that sets a product apart from competitors and gives customers a reason to choose it, expressed in a single clear claim used across advertising.

Example: Our USP is next-day delivery on every order, with no minimum.

Advertising executive Rosser Reeves of Ted Bates & Company developed the concept and set it out in his 1961 book "Reality in Advertising"; a famous example is M&M's "melts in your mouth, not in your hand." Also expanded as "unique selling point," especially in British English. On supplement labels, USP refers to the United States Pharmacopeia.

2. United States Pharmacopeia

Medical · Pharmacy Abbreviations

Independent nonprofit that sets public quality standards for medicines, dietary supplements and food ingredients in the US. Its compendium, the USP-NF, defines identity, strength, purity and testing for each drug, and these standards are enforceable by the FDA.

Example: Use only USP-grade sodium chloride when compounding the nasal rinse.

Founded in 1820 by physicians in Washington, D.C. USP general chapters set nationwide practice rules, such as chapter 795 (nonsterile compounding), 797 (sterile compounding) and 800 (hazardous drugs). "USP" after a drug name on a label means the product meets the official monograph. The USP Verified mark appears on some supplements.

More marketing & advertising abbreviations

  • TOFU – Top of the funnel
  • TRP – Target rating point
  • TTL – Through the line
  • UGC – User-generated content
  • UTM – Urchin Tracking Module
  • UVP – Unique value proposition
  • vCPM – Viewable cost per mille
  • VOC – Voice of the customer

See all 111 marketing & advertising abbreviations →

More pharmacy abbreviations

  • 1/2NS – Half-normal saline
  • AB – Therapeutically equivalent rating (Orange Book code)
  • ADC – Automated dispensing cabinet
  • ADF – Abuse-deterrent formulation
  • AHFS – American Hospital Formulary Service
  • amp – Ampule
  • ANDA – Abbreviated New Drug Application
  • APhA – American Pharmacists Association

See all 134 pharmacy abbreviations →

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.