Darkside of Medicine
British National Formulary
The British National Formulary, commonly known as the BNF, is one of the main medicine reference resources used in the United Kingdom. It provides information about medicines, prescribing guidance, dosages, cautions, interactions, side effects, contraindications, and safety advice for healthcare professionals.
The BNF is widely used by doctors, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, and other healthcare professionals across the UK to support safe and effective prescribing and medicine management. It is designed to help ensure that medicines are used appropriately and that important safety information is available at the point of care.
The BNF includes detailed information about:
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Uses of medicines
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Recommended dosages
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Side effects and adverse effects
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Drug interactions
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Warnings and precautions
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Monitoring requirements
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Guidance for special groups such as children, older adults, and pregnancy
The BNF is published jointly by BMJ Group and Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Content is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect current evidence, prescribing practice, and medicine safety information.
In addition to the printed handbook and online access, the BNF is also available through a mobile app, allowing healthcare professionals and users to access medicine information quickly and conveniently. The app can be particularly useful for checking interactions, cautions, side effects, or prescribing guidance while away from a desk or clinical setting.
Your Local Formulary
A local formulary is a carefully curated list of medicines approved for use within a specific healthcare organization or region. It’s developed by local healthcare professionals—such as clinicians and pharmacists—to reflect the most effective, safe, and cost-efficient treatments for their population. Unlike the national formulary (like the BNF in the UK), a local formulary may tailor recommendations based on local needs or resources. It helps ensure consistent prescribing practices and can be regularly updated as new evidence or treatments emerge. Many regions also provide digital access or apps to help healthcare professionals quickly check and adhere to the local formulary guidance.
The BNF app
About this app, the British National Formulary (BNF) and BNF for Children (BNFC) are the first choice for concise medicines information and are trusted by healthcare professionals to support confident decision-making at the point of care. The BNF + BNFC app makes it easy to access up-to-date BNF and BNFC guidance on prescribing, dispensing and administering medicines, even when you are offline.