Overview
This guideline covers good practice for developing and updating local formularies in line with statutory requirements. It supports developing formularies that reflect local needs, reduce variation in prescribing, and allow rapid adoption of new medicines and treatments.
October 2015: We amended the strength of several recommendations to reflect the need to consider the workload and resource implications of implementing the recommendations locally. These are indicated by [amended 2015] at the end of the recommendation. For further details, see update information.
Recommendations
This guideline includes recommendations on:
- the local formulary scope
- the local formulary decision-making group
- adopting medicines recommended by NICE technology appraisals
- setting decision criteria
- gathering evidence and information
- deliberating, reaching and documenting decisions
- reviewing and updating the local formulary
Who is it for?
- People involved in handling, prescribing and commissioning medicines within the NHS
- Patients and their families and carers
Is this guideline up to date?
March 2019: We have found no new evidence that affects the recommendations. For more information, see the surveillance decision.
Guideline development process
How we develop NICE guidelines
Your responsibility
The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them and their families and carers or guardian.
All problems (adverse events) related to a medicine or medical device used for treatment or in a procedure should be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using the Yellow Card Scheme.
Local commissioners and providers of healthcare have a responsibility to enable the guideline to be applied when individual professionals and people using services wish to use it. They should do so in the context of local and national priorities for funding and developing services, and in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to advance equality of opportunity and to reduce health inequalities. Nothing in this guideline should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with complying with those duties.
Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.