British National Formulary

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British National Formulary
File:British National Formulary 70 cover.jpg
The standard cover design is easily identified with each six-monthly edition distinguished by a different jacket colour. BNF 70 (September 2015) is shown.
Author Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Country United Kingdom
Language British English
Subject Pharmacy
Genre Clinical Pharmacy reference
Publisher Pharmaceutical Press
Publication date
 September 2015 = 70th Edition
ISBN 978-0-85711-173-9
OCLC 299701920
Preceded by 978-0-85711-156-2

The British National Formulary (BNF)[1][2][3] is a pharmaceutical reference book that contains a wide spectrum of information and advice on prescribing and pharmacology, along with specific facts and details about many medicines available on the National Health Service (NHS), including indication(s), contraindications, side effects, doses, legal classification, names and prices of available proprietary and generic formulations, and any other notable points.[4] Though it is a national formulary, it nevertheless also includes entries for some medicines which are not available under the NHS and must be prescribed and/or bought privately. A symbol clearly denotes such drugs in their entry.

It is used by pharmacists and doctors (both general practitioners and specialist practitioners), and by other prescribing healthcare professionals (such as nurses, pharmacy technicians, paramedics, and dentists) as a reference for correct dosage, indication, interactions and side effects of drugs. It is also used as a reassurance by those administering drugs, for example a nurse on a hospital ward, and even for patients and others seeking an authoritative source of advice on any aspect of pharmacotherapy.

The British Pharmacopoeia (BP) specifies quality standards for the making of drugs listed in the BNF.

Development

Many individuals and organisations contribute towards the preparation of the BNF. It is jointly published by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the BMJ Group, which is owned by the British Medical Association. It is published under the authority of a Joint Formulary Committee which comprises representatives of the two professional bodies and the Department of Health.

Information on drugs is drawn from the manufacturers' product literature, medical and pharmaceutical literature, regulatory authorities and professional bodies. Advice is constructed from clinical literature and reflects, as far as possible, an evaluation of the evidence from diverse sources. The BNF also takes account of authoritative national guidelines and emerging safety concerns. In addition, the Joint Formulary Committee takes advice on all therapeutic areas from expert clinicians; this ensures that the BNF's recommendations are relevant to practice. However, in September 2013 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK opened a consultation on its draft decision not to give NICE accreditation to the processes to produce BNF publications following a review by an independent advisory committee.[5]

Editions

A new edition is published twice a year, in March and September. The current edition is 70, which was published in September 2015. As a custom, the colour of each edition is radically different from the previous.

Availability

The BNF is available as a book, a website and a mobile app. The book is available for purchase and also distributed to healthcare professionals in the UK at no direct cost to them.[6] NHS workers and healthcare professionals in the HINARI group of developing nations are entitled to free access via MedicinesComplete following registration (requires provision of a name, an address, an email address, and a phone number). Other visitors can subscribe to the BNF on MedicinesComplete.[7] Healthcare organisations can also subscribe to a customisable BNF via their intranet online.[8] In June 2012, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence released applications for offline access to the BNF on iOS and Android devices. An NHS Athens log-in is required to use this application, and monthly content updates are available, over an internet connection.[9]

History

It was first published in 1949 as the National Formulary with updated versions appearing every three years until 1976. The fifth version in 1957 saw its name change to The British National Formulary.[10] A new look version was released in 1981.[11]

Sister publications

The British National Formulary for Children (BNF-C)[12][13] is published yearly, and details the doses and uses of medicines in children.

The Nurse Prescriber's Formulary for Community Practitioners (NPF) is issued in print every 2 years, for use by District Nurses and Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (including Health Visitors) who have received training to become nurse prescribers.[14]

Sections

The BNF is divided into various sections with the main sections on drugs and preparations being organised by body system.

Table of Contents

  • Preface
  • Acknowledgements
  • How BNF publications are constructed
  • How to use the BNF
  • Changes
  • Guidance on prescribing
  • Prescription writing
  • Emergency supply of medicines
  • Controlled drugs and drug dependence
  • Adverse reactions to drugs
  • Guidance on intravenous infusions
  • Prescribing for children
  • Prescribing in hepatic impairment
  • Prescribing in renal impairment
  • Prescribing in pregnancy
  • Prescribing in breast-feeding
  • Prescribing in palliative care
  • Prescribing for the elderly
  • Drugs and sport
  • Prescribing in dental practice

Notes on drugs and preparations

  1. Gastro-intestinal system
  2. Cardiovascular system
  3. Respiratory system
  4. Nervous system
  5. Infection
  6. Endocrine system
  7. Genito-urinary system
  8. Malignant disease
  9. Blood and nutrition
  10. Musculoskeletal system
  11. Eye
  12. Ear, nose, and oropharynx
  13. Skin
  14. Vaccines
  15. Anaesthesia
  16. Emergency treatment of poisoning

Appendices and indices

  • Appendix 1 Interactions
  • Appendix 2 Borderline substances
  • Appendix 3 Cautionary and advisory labels for dispensed medicines
  • Appendix 4 Wound management products and elasticated garments
  • Dental Practitioners’ Formulary
  • Nurse Prescribers’ Formulary
  • Non-medical prescribing
  • Index of proprietary manufacturers
  • Special-order manufacturers


See also

References

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  6. ↑ https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/nhs-evidence-content/bnf
  7. ↑ http://www.medicinescomplete.com/mc/ MedicinesComplete
  8. ↑ http://www.bnfformularycomplete.com BNF on FormularyComplete
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ http://bnfc.org/bnfc/ British National Formulary for Children
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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