Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary Explained

Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook
Country:	Australia
Language:	Australian English
Subject:	Medicine, Pharmacy
Genre:	Medical reference
Publisher:	Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
Release Date:	1902 (1st edition)
Pages:	664 (22nd edition)
Isbn:	9780987455048
Isbn Note:	(23rd edition)

The Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary (APF) is the national formulary used by pharmacists in Australia, compiled by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. New editions of the APF are released every few years, with the latest edition being the 25th.^[1]

History

The APF was originally a pocket-sized booklet first published in 1902, used by physicians as a drugs reference in Australia. In later editions, rather than simply being a listing of pharmaceuticals, medical and clinical information became incorporated within the publication as well, and eventually the title of the APF was extended to the Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook.^[2]

Content

The APF is divided in a number of sections, with each pertaining to a specific topic. Information includes

• Dispensing practice
• Cautionary Advisory Labels (CALs) information and recommendations
• Good compounding practice
• Compounding sterile and hazardous medicines
• Extemporaneous formulary
• Cold chain management
• Clinical drug monographs
• Information on complementary medicines
• Counseling guides for common ailments
• National pharmacy standards and guidelines, and
• Physicochemical data of drug constituents.

See also

• Australian Medicines Handbook
• British Pharmacopoeia
• United States Pharmacopeia

External links

• Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia

Notes and References

1. Web site: Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary. 2021-06-02. Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. en-AU.
2. Preface, Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook (21st edition), page ix. Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.