Dozens of changes are made to the British National Formulary (BNF) every year. These are some of the 2016 additions:

• Three new products were launched for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Duaklir Genuair (aclidinium bromide with formoterol), Spiolto Respimat (tiotropium with olodaterol) and Ultibro Breezhaler (glycopyrronium with indacaterol)
• There were several new products introduced to the UK market for type 2 diabetes: Synjardy (empagliflozin with metformin) tablets, and Eperzan (albiglutide) and Trulicity (dulaglutide) subcutaneous injections
• The world of cardiovascular health also saw some new launches: Cholib (simvastatin with fenofibrate) tablets for mixed dyslipidaemia, Entresto (valsartan with sacubitril) tablets for symptomatic chronic heart failure, the anti-embolism drug Lixiana (edoxaban), and the anti-hypotensive Bramox (midodrine) tablets
• Other new products include: Taptiqom (tafluprost and timolol) eye drops for open-angle glaucoma, Ikervis (ciclosporin) eye drops for dry eyes, the intrauterine system Levosert (levonorgestrel), the antidepressant Brintellix (vortioxetine) and Intuniv (guanfacine) modified release tablets for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

On the other hand, the triphasic oral contraceptive Trinovum disappeared from pharmacy shelves this year.

Products for children

Supplying products to children can be tricky because of the limited range of medicines licensed for this age group.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and International Pharmacy Federation (FIP) tried to provide some clarity this year with the publication of guidance on courses of action such as rounding doses, manipulating dosage forms and therapeutic alternatives, all based on current evidence and best practice.