British National Formulary March 2004

Előszó

Preface
The BNF is a joint publication of the British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. It is published under the authority of a Joint Formulary Committee which comprises repre-sentatives of the two professional bodies and of the UK Health Departments. The BNF aims to provide prescribers, pharmacists and other healthcare profes-sionals with sound up-to-date information about the use of medicines.
The BNF includes key information on the selection, prescribing, dispensing and administration of medicines. Drugs that are generally prescribed in the UK are covered and those considered less suitable for prescribing are clearly identified. Little or no information is included on medicines that are promoted for purchase by the public.
Basic information about drugs is drawn írom the manufacturers' product literature, from medical and pharmaceutical literature, from regulatory and professional authorities, and from the data used for pricing prescriptions. Advice on the therapeutic use of medicines and on the choice of drugs is con-structed from clinical literature and reflects, wher-ever possible, an evaluation of the evidence. The advice alsó takes account of authoritative national guidelines. In addition, the Joint Formulary Committee receives expert clinical advice on all therapeutic areas in tune with current best evidence; this ensures that the BNF's recommendations are rele-vant to practice. Many individuals and organisations contribute towards the preparation of each edition of the BNF.
The BNF is designed as a digest for rapid reference and it may not always include all the information necessary for prescribing and dispensing. Alsó, less detail is given on areas such as obstetrics, malignant disease, and anaesthesia since it is expected that those undertaking treatment will have speciálist knowledge and access to speciálist literature. The BNF should be interpreted in light of professional knowledge and supplemented as necessary by spe-cialised publications and by reference to the manufacturers' product literature. Information is alsó available from medicines information services (see inside front cover).
Biannual publication allows the BNF to reflect promptly changes in product availability as well as emerging safety concerns and shifts in clinical practice. The more important changes for this edition are listed on p. viii. The current edition must always be used for making clinical decisions.
The BNF on the internet (BNF.org) includes additional information of relevance to healthcare professionals dealing with medicines. Other digital versions of the BNF—including intranet versions— are produced in parallel with the paper version.
The BNF welcomes comments from healthcare professionals; such comments help to ensure that the BNF remains relevant to practice. Comments and constructive criticism should be sent to: Executive Editor, British National Formulary, c/o Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, I Lambeth High Street, London SEI 7JN. Email: editor@bnf.org_ Vissza