The BNFC is an essential reference source used for obtaining information about prescribing medicines for children. Being familiar with the BNFC’s content will help you to deal with the prescribing of medicines in this group during your foundation trainee pharmacist training, as well as help you to prepare for the GPhC exam/registration assessment.
We have compiled a list of some of the topics/subjects that are covered in the BNFC:
- Safe Practice Statements
- Corrected gestational age of a neonate
- Licensed status of medicines
- Supplying and prescribing unlicensed medicines
- Guidance on masking the taste of medicines
- Biosimilar medicines
- Supplying oral syringes
- Sugar-free oral liquid preparations
- Injections containing benzyl alcohol and polyoxyl castor oil
- Oral and parenteral medicines containing propylene glycol
- Dispensing extemporaneous preparations
- Dispensing EEA and Swiss prescriptions
- Patient group direction (PGD)
- Dispensing of medicines in a reclosable child-resistant container
- Using the intravenous, subcutaneous, intramuscular, intrathecal, epidural and intraosseous routes in children
- Prescribing in pregnancy
- Prescribing in breast-feeding
- Prescribing in renal impairment
- Prescribing in hepatic impairment
- Prescribing in palliative care
- Prescribing in dental practice
- Reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions through the Yellow Card Scheme
- Safety warnings from CHM/MHRA
- Frequency of side effects
- Emergency treatment of poisoning e.g. paracetamol treatment graph
- Emergency supply of medicines
- Prescription requirements for controlled drugs
- Classification of controlled drugs by schedule
- NICE Guidance
- E numbers
- Latin abbreviations
- Abbreviations and symbols used in the BNFC
- Drug treatment for medical emergencies in the community
- Resuscitation Council (UK) life support algorithms for newborn and paediatrics
- Table showing mean values for weight, height and gender by age
- Approximate weight conversion chart
- Body surface area charts for children under and over body-weight of 40kg
- Non-medical prescribing
- Nurse Prescribers’ Formulary
- Dental Practitioners’ Formulary
- Cautionary and advisory labels for dispensed medicines
- Borderline substances – ACBS
- Table of drugs given by continuous intravenous infusion to neonates
- List of drug interactions
- Low Na+ antacids
- Regimens for Helicobacter pylori eradication
- Prescribing for children with stoma
- Administration of drugs via enteral feeding tubes
- Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome
- Higher-strength pancreatin preparations
- Types of arrhythmias
- Classification of anti-arrhythmic drugs
- Initial management and prevention of cyanotic spells in tetralogy of Fallot
- Antihypertensive drugs in pregnancy
- Treatment of hypertensive emergencies in children
- Treatment of pulmonary hypertension
- Treatment of shock
- Treatment of thrombotic episodes
- Indications and target INRs for adults
- Initial treatment of Kawasaki syndrome
- Management and drug treatment of hypercholesterolaemia
- Closure of the ductus arteriosus
- Management of acute and chronic asthma based on recommendations from the British Thoracic Society and SIGN
- Standard and high dose inhaled corticosteroids
- Using and caring of spacer devices
- Nebulisers
- IM adrenaline (epinephrine) dose for the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis
- Short-term and long-term prophylaxis of hereditary angioedema
- Caffeine dose
- Use of cough medicines in children
- Prevention and treatment of respiratory distress syndrome
- Treatment of croup
- Use of benzodiazepines in children
- First and second-generation antipsychotic drugs
- Equivalent doses of oral antipsychotic drugs
- Treating depression in children
- Treatment of ADHD
- Drugs used in nausea and vomiting
- Management of pain in sickle-cell disease
- How to use fentanyl patches
- Treatment of cluster headache
- Types of epilepsy syndromes
- Treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome
- Notifiable diseases
- Summary of antibacterial therapy and prophylaxis
- Hypersensitivity reactions to penicillins
- Dosage and pharmacokinetics of aminoglycosides
- Tuberculosis treatment
- HIV infection in children
- Prophylaxis against malaria
- Varicella-zoster infections
- Treating threadworm infections
- Treatment of severe broncholitis caused by respiratory syncytial virus
- HbA1c equivalent values
- Treatment of neonatal diabetes
- Treatment of hypoglycaemia
- Equivalent anti-inflammatory doses of corticosteroids
- Testing for suspected diabetes insipidus
- Prescribing drugs for G6PD-deficient individuals
- Vulvovaginal candidiasis in pregnancy
- Treatment of nocturnal enuresis
- Prevention of neural tube defects
- Electrolyte concentrations – IV fluids
- Electrolyte content – gastrointestinal secretions
- Electrolyte concentrations – infusion fluids for parenteral feeding
- Drugs unsafe for use in acute porphyrias
- Oral rehydration therapy
- Fluid requirements for children over 1 month
- Coeliac disease
- Phenylketonuria
- Enteral nutrition
- Iron content of different iron salts
- Fluoride and dental caries
- Vitamin K deficiency bleeding
- Drugs used in metabolic disorders e.g. carnitine deficiency
- Treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- Prevention and management of extravasation
- Excipients in eye drops
- Nasal polyps
- Use of topical nasal decongestants
- Nasal staphylococci
- Types of oropharyngeal fungal infections and their treatment
- Prescribing topical preparations for neonates
- Treatment of nappy rash
- Application of topical corticosteroid preparations
- Verruca vulgaris treatment
- Ingredient nomenclature in sunscreen preparations
- Cradle cap treatment
- Treatment of hyperhidrosis
- Suitable quantities of dermatological preparations to be prescribed for specific areas of the body
- Suitable quantities of parasiticidal preparations for treatment of head lice, scabies and crab lice
- Excipients in topical preparations that may be associated with sensitisation
- Post immunisation pyrexia in infants
- Immunisation schedule
- Vaccinations in asplenia
- International travel and immunisation
- Surgery and long-term medication
Please note this list is not intended to be a complete list of all the topics/subjects covered in the BNFC.