Description of the BNF management system

Scope of BNF management system

The ISO9001:2008 Quality Management System covers the management, validation and processing of medicines information to produce BNF products and services through a range of delivery channels to customers and end-users.

Policy statement

• BNF Publications provides healthcare professionals with authoritative and practical information on the selection and clinical use of medicines in a clear, concise, and accessible manner.
• We validate and then assess medicines information to create practical knowledge which can be used to promote and support the safe and effective use of medicines.
• We recognise that implementing good working practices and processes is integral to delivering safe and useful products and services.
• BNF Publications has adopted and implemented a Management System which is designed to meet and comply with the requirements of ISO9001:2008 and all other legal and professional requirements. The intranet-based (SharePoint) process and procedures define the systems and controls which must be used throughout the organisation.
• We regularly review our objectives and continually improve our System to enhance the effectiveness of our published content and the utility of the delivery format.
• We communicate this policy to everybody involved in the construction of BNF publications using the intranet and company meetings, and to our customers and end-users through our public communications channels (such as our website).

Quality Objectives

• Comprehensive and relevant coverage
  • Maintain and review annually a list of approved resources
  • Evaluate and disseminate information in a timely manner according to release schedule
• Accuracy to minimize clinical harm
  • On identification, all errors are classified according to defined criteria relating to the risk of clinical harm within a day
  • Explicit remedial action is taken as defined for each category of error as detailed in the error handling policy
  • Procedures are amended to prevent similar errors in future
• Reliability
  • Meet publishing deadlines for all outputs: BNF by mid March and mid September in print and on the web; BNFC by mid July; and NPF by mid October every odd year; data releases according to the publishing schedule.
• Clinical utility
  • Ensure medicines advice is practical by consulting with clinical experts (such as our network of clinical advisers, the Joint Formulary Committee, and the Dental Advisory Group). The Formulary Committees will meet at least four times a year, and the Advisory Groups at least twice a year.
  • Answer all unsolicited feedback within five working days
  • Actively solicit feedback from end-users (such as virtual users groups and market research) according to the Annual Marketing Plan.
• Ensure that the objectives of the audit programme are met and management review takes place at regular intervals as defined in our operating procedures.
• Conduct an annual review of communications, legal and regulatory requirements as a minimum.