Do you know how to use the

BNF?
(British National Formulary)
Key points:
 Before giving any medication to your patient you need
to be clear about the purpose, use, dosage, route and
side effects of the drug.
 The BNF offers you access to safe evidence based
information about your patient’s medication.
 When undertaking OSCE or written assessments
candidates are expected to know how to use the BNF
to check on their patient’s medication.

To achieve the safe, effective, and appropriate use of medicines,

healthcare professionals must be able to use the BNF accurately, and
keep up to date with significant changes that are relevant to their clinical
practice.

How to Use the BNF

https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/formulary/bnf/current/general-information-
and-changes/how-to-use-the-bnf - is a quick refresher for all healthcare
professionals involved with prescribing, monitoring, supplying, and
administering medicines, and a learning aid for students training to join
these professions.
While How to Use the BNF is linked to the main elements of prescribing,
the generic structure of this section means that it can be adapted for
teaching and learning in different clinical settings.
The Table of Contents shows that information in the BNF is divided into:

 General information which includes How the BNF is Constructed.

 Guidance on Prescribing, which provides practical information on many aspects

of prescribing from writing a prescription to prescribing in palliative care;

 Emergency Treatment of Poisoning, which provides an overview on the

management of acute poisoning;

 Classified notes on clinical conditions, drugs, and preparations, these notes are
divided into chapters, each of which is related to a system of the body (e.g.
chapter 2, Cardiovascular System) or to an aspect of medical care (e.g. chapter
5, Infections). Each chapter is further divided into classified sections. Each
section usually begins with prescribing notes followed by relevant drug details
and preparations. Drugs are classified in a section according to their
pharmacology and therapeutic use;

 Appendices and Indices, includes Appendices (providing information on drug

interactions, borderline substances, cautionary and advisory labels for dispensed
medicines, intravenous additives, and wound management), the Dental
Practitioners' Formulary, the Nurse Prescribers' Formulary, Non-medical
Prescribing, and Index of Manufacturers. The information in the Appendices
should be used in conjunction with relevant information in the chapters.

VISIT THESE (3) SITES FOR A QUICK REFRESHER BEFORE YOU BOOK IN FOR YOUR
OSCE.

https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/formulary/bnf/current/general-information-
and-changes/how-to-use-the-bnf
https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/formulary/bnf/current

The NICE BETA BNF site has a useful section for nurses and nurse
prescribers:

http://beta-bnf.nice.org.uk/

Try this quick self-assessment:

 Choose a drug that you commonly give to your patients.
 Use the BNF to find out how and when this medication should be
used, the contra-indications, and side effects.
 Did you learn something new about the drug?