The content of the Northern Ireland Formulary is maintained by the Regional Pharmacy and Medicines Management Team with the support of Panels for Prescribing Advice (PPA). Each PPA includes hospital specialists, general practitioners, community pharmacists and other healthcare professionals when appropriate. PPAs meet and consider prescribing patterns, the most recent clinical evidence for efficacy, patient safety, patient acceptability and cost effectiveness when making their recommendations to the panel for consideration. The proposals from the PPAs are then submitted to the Prescribing Guidance Editorial Group (PGEG) for approval.
Chapters of the formulary are reviewed regularly, approximately every three years proactively and on an interim basis if new evidence or otherwise becomes available.
See the SPPG and PHA’s “Process for Developing Prescribing Guidelines and Formulary Chapters” for further details.