Announcing the launch of the NICE BNF and NICE BNFC apps in Scotland, Sir Andrew Dillon, NICE Chief Executive, said:

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1 NICE launch free British National Formulary Smartphone Apps for health and social care professionals in partnership with NHS Education for Scotland s Knowledge Network The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), working with NHS Education for Scotland, have today (21/12/12) launched two free British National Formulary (BNF) Smartphone applications for download by health and social care professionals who work for or who are contracted by the NHS in Scotland NICE has worked with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and the BNF to make these essential resources available via NES s national ATHENS authentication system and The Knowledge Network ( to health and social care professionals with prescribing responsibilities in Scotland. The NICE BNF and NICE BNFC (British National Formulary for Children) apps provide easy access to the latest up-to-date prescribing information from the BNF and BNFC the most widely-used medicines information resource in the NHS. The NICE BNF and NICE BNFC apps are free to health and social care professionals via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Users will need to enter their NHS Education for Scotland Athens user name and password to activate the app and download the content. Once downloaded and activated, the app does not rely on a network connection and will provide direct offline access to the latest version of the BNF and BNFC. Eligible health and social care staff who do not yet have an NHS Scotland Athens password can register for free online via The Knowledge Network ( Announcing the launch of the NICE BNF and NICE BNFC apps in Scotland, Sir Andrew Dillon, NICE Chief Executive, said: We are delighted that following the huge success of the NICE BNF and NICE BNFC apps in England we are now able to offer this essential resource to our health and social care colleagues in Scotland.

2 The NICE BNF and BNFC apps help meet the needs of health and social care professionals, by providing fast, reliable and convenient access to the most up-to-date prescribing information to ensure that medicines can be administered safely. Malcolm Wright, Chief Executive of NHS Education for Scotland said: NHS Education for Scotland is delighted to be working in partnership with our colleagues at NICE to enable access to the British National Formulary and British National Formulary for Children smartphone apps - a move which also demonstrates an excellent example of good practice in cross-nation partnership working. The NICE BNF apps will enable easy access in the clinical setting to these critical resources for safe and effective prescribing and help to support the delivery of our strategic vision of Knowledge into Action 1 - enabling clinicians to apply knowledge to make safe, reliable decisions in day to day frontline care. Duncan Enright, Publishing Director of the BNF, said: The BNF and BNF for Children are the single preferred source of medicines information at the point of care for 9 out of 10 health professionals across the UK, and in particular we work closely with colleagues in Scotland to meet their needs. This app will add another option for those wishing to find answers at the point of care. Notes to Editors: NICE and NHS Education for Scotland are working in partnership to provide subscription to the BNF and BNF for Children in Scotland. NICE and NHS Scotland have a licensing agreement with the publishers of the BNF and BNFC the British Medical Association, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health - to provide free and open access for the NHS to BNF and BNFC online via the NHS Evidence service ( in Scotland via The Knowledge Network ( and also to make the BNF available through mobile applications. To download the app on Android, the user will require the minimum operating system: or later. 1 ) NHS Education for Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Getting Knowledge into Action to Improve Healthcare Quality: Report of Strategic Review and Recommendations. Edinburgh: NHS Education for Scotland, %20report%20for%20Board%20distribution%20v2%200.pdf

3 To download the app on iphone, the user will require the minimum operating system: ios 4.3 or later. Downloads The NICE BNF App has been downloaded 95,733 times to 30 November 2012 of which 80% are for Apple devices and 20% are for Android devices The NICE BNFC App has been downloaded 18,179 times to 30 November 2012 of which 86% are for Apple devices and 14% are for Android devices About BNF publications The BNF and BNFC are joint publications of the British Medical Association, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group. The BNF and BNFC are used by all healthcare professionals involved in using medicines. An updated version is published in print form every six months. It is a resource used for rapid reference by practising healthcare professionals which supports effective and safe selection and use of medicines. The BNF and BNFC are available on the internet at for users in Scotland, integrated into The Knowledge Network ( and can be accessed along with the many other resources offered there. The BNF is also available in print format. Market research has shown that over 9 out of 10 health professionals prefer BNF or BNFC as their source of medicines information. (Binleys, 2012) About The Knowledge Network and ATHENS in NHSScotland NHS Scotland has over 73,000 registered ATHENS users, 64,000 of whom are NHS staff or students. The accounts enable access to over 12 million information and learning resources including validated evidence, guidance, 9000 journals, books, elearning and other resources. Staff are supported by their local Knowledge Services in NHS Boards, as well as nationally by the Knowledge Services Group at NHS Education for Scotland. Eligible staff who do not have an NHS Athens account may register online at For additional support with online journals and other electronic information resources, staff should contact knowledge@nes.scot.nhs.uk About NICE The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is the independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance and standards on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health NICE produces guidance in three areas of health:

4 public health - guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention of ill health for those working in the NHS, local authorities and the wider public and voluntary sector health technologies - guidance on the use of new and existing medicines, treatments, medical technologies (including devices and diagnostics) and procedures within the NHS clinical practice - guidance on the appropriate treatment and care of people with specific diseases and conditions within the NHS. NICE produces standards for patient care: quality standards - these reflect the very best in high quality patient care, to help healthcare practitioners and commissioners of care deliver excellent services Quality and Outcomes Framework - NICE develops the clinical and health improvement indicators in the QOF, the Department of Health scheme which rewards GPs for how well they care for patients NICE provides advice and support on putting NICE guidance and standards into practice through its implementation programme, and it collates and accredits high quality health guidance, research and information to help health professionals deliver the best patient care through NHS Evidence. The Medicines and Prescribing Centre at NICE With the integration of the former National Prescribing Centre into NICE. NICE now offer a comprehensive suite of advice and support for delivering quality, safety, and efficiency in the use of medicines. The Medicines and Prescribing Centre at NICE provides support for medicines and prescribing through: Advice on medicines optimisation including support for QIPP Specific medicines advice, for example on unlicensed and off-label drugs Practical tools and materials to aid implementation About NHS Education for Scotland (NES) The NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is a Special Health Board, responsible for supporting NHS services to the people of Scotland through the development and delivery of education and training for all NHSScotland staff. Its vision is Quality Education for a Healthier Scotland. Its mission is to provide educational solutions that support excellence in healthcare for the people of Scotland. NES is a national organisation with its central office in Edinburgh along with regional offices in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness. It has a staff complement of around 700. Additional information on NES s role is available from its website:

5 Within NES, the Knowledge Services Group supports national strategic development for knowledge management in health and social care, through the Knowledge into Action framework 2. It delivers national support for translating knowledge into practice through The Knowledge Network ( the national service for health and social care in Scotland. 2 ) NHS Education for Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Getting Knowledge into Action to Improve Healthcare Quality: Report of Strategic Review and Recommendations. Edinburgh: NHS Education for Scotland, %20report%20for%20Board%20distribution%20v2%200.pdf

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