§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements have been or will be made to distribute to doctors copies of the British National Formulary; what estimates have been made of the cost of doing so; whether this publication will contain such information as is now provided in MIMS: and, if not, what information is omitted.
§ Sir George Young[pursuant to his reply, 13 November 1980, c.430]: All doctors in the NHS will be sent the new version of the British National Formulary when it is published early next year. Preliminary estimates include approximately £304,000 for the purchase and distribution to doctors of two editions per year.
The revised format of the new BNF, which is independently produced by a joint committee of representatives of the medical and pharmaceutical professions, will be unlike the Monthly Index of Medical Specialties, which is a commercial publication of reference advertisements for branded products.
The BNF will contain a wide range of drugs, both proprietary and approved name versions; it will carry prescribing notes and advice; relative costs will be indicated and drugs of choice will be clearly distinguished from less-desirable preparations.