Introduction
The Pharmascholar BNF Skills Course is a practical BNF training programme designed for pharmacy students, medical students, prescribing students and healthcare professionals. Through interactive BNF workshops, case-based learning and guided exercises, delegates learn how to use the British National Formulary efficiently, develop BNF navigation skills and build confidence locating prescribing information in real clinical scenarios.
Many students are expected to use the BNF during placements, prescribing assessments and clinical practice without receiving formal training. This BNF skills course teaches delegates how to find medicines information quickly, interpret prescribing guidance accurately and apply recommendations safely in patient care.
✅ Maximum 5 delegates per cohort
✅ 6 live online workshops, each of 90 minute duration
✅ Practical BNF activities with clear explanation
✅ Real-world patient scenarios that will present throughout your career
✅ Individual or interactive small-group learning
✅ Led by an experienced Clinical Prescribing Tutor
Interactive small-group learning designed to build confidence using the British National Formulary (BNF).
The British National Formulary is one of the most important medicines information resources used across UK healthcare. Yet, many learners receive little formal training on how to navigate it efficiently, locate relevant information quickly, or apply guidance confidently. This course focuses on practical skills, not memorisation.
✅ Navigate the BNF efficiently
✅ Locate prescribing information quickly
✅ Find interactions, contraindications and monitoring requirements
✅ Interpret important medicines safety information
✅ Use treatment summaries effectively
✅ Apply BNF guidance in realistic patient scenarios
✅ Build confidence using medicines information resources
This course is suitable for:
✅ OSPAP Students
✅ Overseas Pharmacists
✅ MPharm Students
✅ Medical Students
✅ PSA Candidates
✅ Foundation Trainee Pharmacists
✅ Independent Prescribing Students
✅ Non-Medical Prescribing Students
✅ Nurses
✅ Healthcare Professionals
Whether you are preparing for assessments, placements, prescribing studies or professional practice, this course is designed to help you use the BNF more effectively and confidently.
Mike has extensive experience supporting healthcare learners across pharmacy, medicine and prescribing programmes.
Drawing on experience in Medical Education and prescribing teaching, Mike helps delegates develop practical skills that can be applied immediately when using medicines information resources.
Further, Mike has recently worked in the Community Pharmacy setting as well as the Primary Care setting (i.e. as PCN Clinical Pharmacist). Therefore, he is suitably placed to guide you with effective BNF use.
✅ Small-group teaching
✅ Interactive workshops
✅ Practical BNF exercises
✅ Realistic patient scenarios
✅ Personalised support
✅ Expert guidance throughout the course
Learn how the BNF is organised and develop the navigation skills needed to find information efficiently. Topics include:
BNF structure and layout
Treatment summaries
Drug monographs
Prescribing information
Practical navigation exercises
Learn how to identify and interpret important medicines information. Topics include:
Drug interactions
Contraindications
Warnings and precautions
Monitoring requirements
Adverse effects
Use the BNF to explore realistic healthcare scenarios. Topics include:
Asthma
COPD
Hypertension
Atrial fibrillation
Anticoagulation
Apply BNF guidance to common chronic health conditions. Topics include:
Type 2 diabetes
Heart failure
Lipid management
Chronic disease management
Develop confidence identifying important medicines safety considerations. Topics include:
High-risk medicines
Common medicines safety issues
Recognising prescribing risks
Safe interpretation of BNF information
Bring everything together through practical case-based activities. Delegates will:
Navigate the BNF efficiently
Retrieve medicines information
Locate prescribing guidance
Identify interactions and contraindications
Find monitoring requirements
Apply BNF recommendations appropriately
This is not a lecture-based course. Delegates actively participate throughout every workshop using practical exercises, small-group discussion and guided activities.
Interactive Small-Group BNF Training Workshop.
✅ Guided BNF tasks
✅ Interactive exercises
✅ Patient scenarios
✅ Group discussion
✅ Problem-solving activities
✅ Tutor-led feedback
To maximise participation and interaction, cohort sizes are limited to a maximum of five delegates. This provides:
More opportunities to ask questions
Greater engagement
More discussion
Increased participation
Personalised feedback
A BNF course provides practical BNF training to help healthcare students and professionals use the British National Formulary confidently. Delegates learn how to find prescribing information, medicines safety advice and treatment guidance efficiently.
The best way to learn how to use the BNF is through practical exercises, realistic patient cases and structured BNF workshops that develop confidence navigating medicines information resources.
Yes. BNF training for PSA preparation helps students develop the skills needed to locate prescribing information, interpret guidance and use medicines information efficiently during assessments.
Yes. This BNF course for OSPAP students helps delegates develop practical BNF navigation skills, medicines information skills and confidence applying prescribing guidance.
Pharmacy students can improve their BNF skills through regular practice, case-based learning, BNF exercises and applying guidance to real-world clinical scenarios.
The course covers medicines information retrieval, identifying interactions, interpreting contraindications, locating monitoring requirements and understanding medicines safety guidance.
1:1 BNF Skills Coaching
Prefer personalised support tailored to your individual learning needs?
£75 per session
or
£450 for a complete 6-session programme.
Ideal for learners seeking individual support with:
✅ BNF navigation
✅ Medicines information
✅ Prescribing guidance
✅ Patient scenarios
✅ Confidence building
Group BNF Skills Course
Private online cohort for up to 5 delegates.
Standard Fee: £950 per cohort
Summer Launch Offer
£825 per cohort
Equivalent to just £165 per delegate when five learners attend.
Includes:
✅ 6 live online workshops
✅ Practical BNF activities
✅ Real-world patient scenarios
✅ Interactive learning
✅ Tutor support throughout
Whether you're studying pharmacy, medicine, independent prescribing, non-medical prescribing, or preparing for professional assessments, this course is designed to help you use the British National Formulary more effectively and confidently.
Why Learners Choose Pharmascholar:
✅ Practical BNF training
✅ Small-group learning
✅ Real-world scenarios
✅ Expert pharmacist tutor
✅ Interactive workshops
✅ Maximum 5 delegates per cohort
✅ Focus on skills you can apply immediately
Limited Cohort Numbers
Places are intentionally limited to maintain a highly interactive learning environment.
Discuss....
Course availability
Upcoming cohort dates
Group bookings
1:1 coaching options
Whether the course is right for you
Developing strong BNF skills goes hand-in-hand with success in prescribing, pharmacology and professional pharmacy assessments. Explore these additional resources to strengthen your clinical knowledge, medicines information skills and exam preparation.
PSA Course: PharmaScholar - PSA Tutor UK
Structured support for students preparing for the Prescribing Safety Assessment and developing safe prescribing skills.
PSA Preparation Tips for UK Medical Students: PharmaScholar - PSA Preparation Tips for UK Medical Students
Practical advice, revision strategies and common pitfalls to help maximise PSA performance.
Pharmacology Tutor UK: PharmaScholar - Pharmacology Tutor UK
Personalised pharmacology support covering drug mechanisms, therapeutics and clinical application.
OSPAP Guide UK: PharmaScholar - OSPAP Guide UK
A comprehensive guide for overseas pharmacists covering OSPAP requirements, preparation and study planning.
Independent Prescribing Support: PharmaScholar - NMP Support
Expert guidance for prescribing students looking to strengthen clinical decision-making and medicines optimisation skills.
To complement the skills covered in this BNF course, the following trusted resources provide additional guidance on prescribing, medicines information and clinical practice:
British National Formulary (BNF): BNF
Access the latest prescribing guidance, drug monographs, interactions and treatment summaries used across UK healthcare.
NICE Guidelines: NICE
Explore evidence-based clinical guidelines and recommendations that support safe and effective patient care.
Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS): SPS
A trusted NHS resource offering medicines advice, clinical guidance and professional pharmacy support.