The aim of the formulary

The main aim of this BSW Joint Formulary is to promote safe, evidence-based, cost-effective prescribing across primary and secondary care. It is not intended to cover all prescribing, but should provide appropriate treatment for the vast majority of patients. The Joint Formulary provides a selective list of medicines which will lead to a greater familiarity with a limited range of medicines, helping to reduce prescribing errors and promote a seamless approach to prescribing.

The BSW Joint Formulary has arisen as an amalgamation of three existing formularies

• BCAP Bath Clinical Area Partnership Joint Formulary
• 3Ts Formulary Great Western Hospital Swindon 
• Microguide Formulary Salisbury Foundation Trust

A number of ‘differences’ in formulary options and traffic light statuses have yet to be agreed to a single decision hence multiple traffic lights may be shown. 

A definition of the traffic light status are listed below and at the bottom of each page.

Traffic Light Status Information

Status	Description
	RED - Hospital only – to be prescribed by a specialist and supplied from secondary care ONLY throughout treatment.
	AMBER - These medicines are considered suitable for GP prescribing following specialist initiation or recommendation.
	AMBER with Shared Care - These medicines require specialist initiation and stabilisation. Ongoing division of responsibility for drug and disease monitoring between specialist and GP by a Shared Care Guideline (SCG). If no SCG in place status reverts to red.
	GREEN - These medicines are appropriate for initiation in both primary and secondary care. Prescribing is appropriate within licensed or local recommendations.
	SELF-CARE medicines are suitable for patients to be directed to buy themselves
	Not currently used. We intend to include this TLS in future to highlight where a decision to use this medicine is under review.
	Not currently used. We intend to include this TLS in future to highlight where a decision has been made by either or both the local or national NHS not to routinely commission this preparation for its licensed indications. Do not prescribe.
	Not currently used. We intend to include this TLS in future to highlight where this medicine and indication is ONLY available through a Specialist Centre according to a NICE Highly Specialised Technology or NHSE Specialised Commission Circular / Policy.

While every effort has been made to ensure that the content of the BSW Joint Formulary website is accurate and up to date we are unable to guarantee that the information is completely free from any inaccuracy.

The Joint Formulary is still under construction and is designed to be an evolving, dynamic resource. We welcome feedback and if you discover any information on our pages which you believe to be inaccurate or misleading please contact us using the feedback form.

The BSW Health Community will not be liable for any loss, damage or expense that might be caused by, or linked to, any action that a user might have taken as a result of using this site and other sites linked from it.  The responsibility for application of the information lies solely with the user. The links provided to other websites have been included for convenience and are to the websites of reputable organisations however we are unable to take responsibility for the availability or contents of these external sites.

Please note that the information provided is for information only and remains subject to existing intellectual property rights; no licence for the re-use of this information is given or implied through its provision to you.