Stockley's Drug Interactions
The reference pharmacists reach for when two medicines might not mix safely.
What it is
About Stockley's Drug Interactions
Stockley's Drug Interactions (published by Pharmaceutical Press, part of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society) is a comprehensive, evidence-graded reference detailing known and theoretical interactions between drugs, herbal medicines and food. It's available as a book and via Medicines Complete, and rates interactions by severity and evidence quality so clinicians can decide whether to avoid, monitor or adjust a combination. It's a core reference in UK hospital and community pharmacy practice.
What you can do with it
Capabilities
Look up interactions between any two or more named drugs
Check severity ratings and evidence strength for a given interaction
Review recommended clinical management (avoid, monitor, dose-adjust)
Search interactions involving herbal supplements and food
Cross-reference with BNF and BNFc for prescribing decisions
How to learn it
Learning Resources
Access via institutional Medicines Complete subscription (most UK pharmacy and medical schools provide this)
RPS and pharmacy degree coursework on clinical pharmacology
Practise by working through real prescription case studies during placements
NHS and hospital pharmacy induction training on interaction-checking workflow
Pro Tip
Don't just read the severity flag — always check the evidence grade too, since a 'severe' interaction with weak case-report evidence needs different clinical judgement than one backed by controlled studies.
Skills that use this tool
Roles that use this tool