British National Formulary
The definitive UK reference for what to prescribe and how.
What it is
About British National Formulary
The British National Formulary is the authoritative UK compendium of drug information including dosing, formulations, interactions, contraindications and cost, updated continuously online and republished twice yearly in print. It's the default reference checked by prescribers, nurses and pharmacists before administering or dispensing any medicine, with a dedicated children's edition (BNFc) for paediatric dosing.
What you can do with it
Capabilities
Look up licensed indications, dosing and formulations for any UK-available drug
Check for drug interactions and contraindications
Review cautions for special patient groups like renal or hepatic impairment, pregnancy and breastfeeding
Reference the paediatric BNFc for children's dosing
Support safe prescribing and dispensing decisions
How to learn it
Learning Resources
The free official BNF website and mobile app
NHS and university pharmacology and medicines-management training modules
Royal Pharmaceutical Society continuing professional development resources
Supervised practice cross-checking real prescriptions during clinical placement
Pro Tip
Use the interactions checker tool within the digital BNF rather than manually cross-referencing two drug entries — it catches combination risks that are easy to miss reading entries individually.
Skills that use this tool
Roles that use this tool