4th August 2023

Special circumstances

When prescribing any medication, consideration should be given to individual patient factors that may influence the drug’s pharmacokinetics.

The most important of these situations are prescribing in renal impairment, hepatic impairment, and pregnant and breastfeeding women. Drugs may either be contradicted, or dose reductions may be required.

Detailed information on prescribing in these circumstances can be found in the British National Formulary (BNF) for each drug.