The British National Formulary is the unrivalled guidance on prescribing, dispensing and administering medicines.
The BNF is the only drug formulary in the world that is both independent, and has rigorous, accredited content creation processes. It is trusted by health professionals worldwide as their primary source for minimising medication errors.
Sales and UpgradesContent Updates
Speed and safety: Provides rapid reference to essential information on the selection of safe and effective medicines for individual patients
Evidence Grading: As part of NICE accreditation recommendations, BNF content is now evidence graded to reflect the strength of evidence behind them, increasing transparency to support healthcare professionals with clinical decision making
Always up-to-date: The content is revalidated, revised, and updated on a monthly basis, making sure you have access to the very latest prescribing knowledge
Worldwide credibility: The BNF uses clinical evidence from a diverse range of sources and a network of experts, giving you the confidence to select medicines safely
*based on average data in the last 12 months
This update contains 6 significant changes, 1 dose change, 1 new monograph, and 1 new preparation.
Significant Changes:
• Amiodarone hydrochloride (Cordarone X®): reminder of risks of treatment and need for patient monitoring and supervision [MHRA/CHM advice].
• Cladribine (Mavenclad®): new advice to minimise risk of serious liver injury [MHRA/CHM advice].
• COVID-19: updated guidance.
• Glaucoma and ocular hypertension: updated guidance on management
• Metformin hydrochloride: study shows no safety concerns in pregnancy [MHRA/CHM advice].
• Potassium permanganate: inadvertent oral administration of potassium permanganate [National Patient Safety Alert advice].
Dose Change:
• Remdesivir [update to indications and dosing including removal of body-weight from dose statement].
New Monograph:
• Aspaveli® [pegcetacoplan]
New Preparation: Nephrotrans® [sodium bicarbonate]
For further details on changes in the BNF click on https://www.medicinescomplete.com/#/content/bnf/PHP107699
This update contains 10 significant changes, 2 dose changes, 3 new monographs, 2 new preparations, and 3 deleted preparations.
Significant Changes:
• Antiplatelet drugs: guidance added on the use of antiplatelet drugs for transcatheter aortic valve implantation.
• Buprenorphine: updated information on available transdermal patch strengths and prescribing considerations.
• Chlorhexidine [primary therapeutic area changed to genito-urinary system, secondary therapeutic area changed to oropharynx].
• Chloroquine: increased risk of cardiovascular events when used with macrolide antibiotics; reminder of psychiatric reactions [MHRA/CHM advice].
• COVID-19 antivirals: reporting to the UK COVID-19 Antivirals Pregnancy Registry [MHRA/CHM advice] (advice in molnupiravir, nirmatrelvir with ritonavir, and remdesivir; see example in remdesivir).
• COVID-19 vaccines: updated guidance in-line with UK Health Security Agency recommendations.
• Hydroxychloroquine sulfate: increased risk of cardiovascular events when used with macrolide antibiotics; reminder of psychiatric reactions [MHRA/CHM advice].
• Immunisation schedule: updated guidance in-line with UK Health Security Agency recommendations.
• Ivacaftor: Ivacaftor, tezacaftor, elexacaftor (Kaftrio®▼) in combination with ivacaftor (Kalydeco®): risk of serious liver injury; updated advice on liver function testing [MHRA/CHM advice].
• Smoking cessation: updated guidance on management.
Dose Changes:
• Eltrombopag [addition of Southeast Asian ethnicity to dosing for treatment of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and aplastic anaemia].
• Etanercept [update to dosing].
New Monographs:
• Minjuvi® [tafasitamab]
• Paxlovid® [nirmatrelvir with ritonavir]
• Vumerity® [diroximel fumarate]
New Preparations:
• Luforbec® [beclometasone with formoterol]
• Vaxelis® [diphtheria with tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis and haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine]
Deleted Preparations:
• Buplast® [buprenorphine]
• Prenotrix® [buprenorphine]
• Synflorix® [pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (adsorbed)]
For further details on changes in the BNF click on https://www.medicinescomplete.com/#/content/bnf/PHP107699
This update contains 7 significant changes, 2 dose changes, and 3 new monographs.
Significant Changes:
• COVID-19: updated guidance.
• COVID-19 vaccines: updated guidance in-line with UK Health Security Agency recommendations.
• Miconazole: oral gel no longer licensed for treatment of intestinal candidiasis.
• Obstetrics: updated guidance for the induction of labour.
• Paclitaxel formulations (conventional and nab-paclitaxel): caution required due to potential for medication error [MHRA/CHM advice].
• Phosphate imbalance: updated guidance on the use of phosphate-binding agents.
• Sex hormones: updated guidance on the use of progestogens for the prevention of miscarriage.
Dose Changes:
• Calcium chloride [update to dosing for treatment of acute severe hyperkalaemia].
• Mifepristone [update to dosing for induction of labour following intra-uterine fetal death].
New Monographs
• Jemperli® [dostarlimab]
• Rybrevant® [amivantamab]
• Xevudy® [sotrovimab]
For further details on changes in the BNF click on
https://www.medicinescomplete.com/#/content/bnf/PHP107699
This update contains 9 significant changes, 3 new monographs, 1 new preparation, 1 deleted monograph and 1 deleted preparation.
Significant Changes:
• Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine: updated guidance for immunisation of neonates in-line with Public Health England/UK Health Security Agency recommendations.
• Brolucizumab (Beovu®): updated recommendations to minimise the known risk of intraocular inflammation, including retinal vasculitis and/or retinal vascular occlusion [MHRA/CHM advice].
• COVID-19 vaccines: updated guidance in-line with UK Health Security Agency recommendations.
• Haloperidol (Haldol®): reminder of risks when used in elderly patients for the acute treatment of delirium [MHRA/CHM advice].
• Immunisation schedule: updated guidance for immunisation of neonates and adults aged 70-79 years in-line with Public Health England/UK Health Security Agency recommendations.
• Individual monographs created for herpes-zoster vaccine (recombinant, adjuvanted), herpes-zoster vaccine, live, and varicella-zoster vaccine.
• Varicella-zoster vaccine: title changed to Varicella-zoster vaccines.
• Varicella-zoster vaccines : updated guidance for immunisation against herpes zoster in-line with Public Health England/UK Health Security Agency recommendations.
• Venetoclax (Venclyxto®): updated recommendations on tumour lysis syndrome (TLS) [MHRA/CHM advice].
New Monographs:
• Shingrix® [herpes-zoster vaccine (recombinant, adjuvanted)].
• Vazkepa® [icosapent ethyl].
• Xofluza® [baloxavir marboxil].
New Preparations: Sixmo® [buprenorphine].
Deleted Monographs: Meningococcal group C vaccine.
Deleted Preparations: Cervarix® [human papillomavirus vaccines].
For further details on changes in the BNF click on
https://www.medicinescomplete.com/#/content/bnf/PHP107699
This update contains 9 significant changes, 2 dose changes, 5 new monographs and 1 deleted preparation.
Significant Changes:
• Adrenaline/epinephrine auto-injectors: reminder for prescribers to support safe and effective use [MHRA/CHM advice].
• Arrhythmias: updated guidance for the management of atrial fibrillation.
• COVID-19: updated guidance.
• COVID-19 vaccines: updated guidance in-line with Public Health England/UK Health Security Agency recommendations.
• Dapagliflozin (Forxiga®) 5mg should no longer be used for the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus [MHRA/CHM advice].
• Malaria, prophylaxis: updated guidance in-line with Public Health England recommendations.
• Mexiletine: update to include new indication for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.
• Phenobarbital: oral doses for children have been removed from the BNF; these can still be accessed in BNF for Children, where additional information on the available oral solutions and advice from the RCPCH/NPPG can be found in the prescribing and dispensing section of the Phenobarbital monograph.
• Yellow fever vaccine, live (Stamaril®): new pre-vaccination checklist [MHRA/CHM advice].
Dose Changes:
• Adrenaline/epinephrine [update to dosing for acute anaphylaxis].
• Calcium gluconate [update to dosing for acute severe hyperkalaemia].
New Monographs:
• Lagevrio® [molnupiravir].
• Lumykras® [sotorasib].
• Ponvory® [ponesimod].
• Tepmetko® [tepotinib].
• Tukysa® [tucatinib].
Deleted Preparations: Tacni® [tacrolimus].
For further details on changes in the BNF click on https://www.medicinescomplete.com/#/content/bnf/PHP107699
This update contains 7 significant changes, 3 dose changes, 1 classification change and 7 new monographs.
Significant Changes:
• Acne: updated guidance on management.
• COVID-19 vaccine: title changed to COVID-19 vaccines.
• COVID-19 vaccines: updated guidance in-line with Public Health England/UK Health Security Agency recommendations.
• Nausea and labyrinth disorders: updated guidance on the management of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
• Rosacea and Acne: title changed to Rosacea.
• Tofacitinib (Xeljanz®): new measures to minimise risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and malignancies [MHRA/CHM advice].
• Type 1 diabetes: updated guidance on Recommended insulin regimens.
Dose Changes:
• Cabozantinib [update to dosing for advanced renal cell carcinoma].
• Chloral hydrate [update to dosing information for short-term treatment of severe insomnia].
• Tofacitinib [update to dosing for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis].
Classification Changes:
• Minoxidil [primary classification changed to Potassium-channel openers].
New Monographs:
• Acarizax® [house dust mite extract].
• Cibinqo® [abrocitinib].
• Klisyri® [tirbanibulin].
• Ontozry® [cenobamate].
• Orladeyo® [berotralstat].
• Rukobia® [fostemsavir].
• Vocabria® [cabotegravir].
For further details on changes in the BNF click on
https://www.medicinescomplete.com/#/content/bnf/PHP107699
