Guidance for Reviewers

Thank you for your interest in providing feedback on BNF Publications draft content.

Please read the guidance for reviewers thoroughly. Take note that the draft content presented on https://www.pharmaceuticalpress.com/bnf-publications/consultations/ is provisional and may/may not constitute BNF Publications published content, which may change after consultation, and accordingly, no reliance is placed on its content. BNF Publications make the final editorial decision about published content.

The consultation process allows users to provide us with objective and constructive feedback on the draft content’s:

1. Reflection of current practice.
2. Representation of the existing literature.
3. The practicality of the recommendations.
4. Any areas for consideration that are not currently addressed.
5. Constructive views of the content’s validity and relevance to your practice.

• Please appraise the draft content; comments should be balanced, unbiased, clearly structured and must contain up‐to‐date information.
• Comments on the draft text should be constructive, with supporting references where possible.
• Comment even if you agree the draft content is a true reflection of the subject and practice.
• Proofreading the draft content e.g. typographical errors or grammar is not required as the text will be edited before publication; however, where the meaning of the content is unclear, this can be highlighted by providing suggestions about how to improve the clarity of the draft text.
• Points to consider in the consultation include: areas that are not covered but which appear to fall within the content scope; and, if appropriate, the practicality of the suggested recommendations.
• For organisational responses, combine all comments from your organisation into one response; we cannot accept more than one response from each organisation.
• Comments must be submitted using the consultation response webform and should be carefully constructed so that the BNF Publications editorial team will fully understand the intention of the comments; comments should not be open to misinterpretation and full words for any abbreviations or acronyms must be given.
• Comments are welcome from BNF and BNFC users in the UK. Please do not comment if you do not work in the UK.

Consultations will be accessible for a period of 2 weeks; comments must be received before midnight on the closing date specified in the draft content. Comments received after this date will not be considered unless notified and agreed in advance.

PLEASE NOTE: The BNF reserves the right to summarise and edit comments received during consultations, or not to publish them at all, where in the reasonable opinion of the organisation the comments are voluminous, publication would be unlawful or publication would be otherwise inappropriate. We will not be in a position to provide individual responses to consultation submissions. For details of how BNF Publications content is produced please see https://www.pharmaceuticalpress.com/bnf-publications/about-bnf/.

Code of Practice on Declaration of Interests

The purpose of the Declaration of Interests Form is to enable reviewers to make a clear declaration of any interests that could, or could be thought to, influence their review comments. Declaration of an interest does not prevent a reviewer from commenting on a subject related to that interest, but it ensures that there can be no perception that the reviewer may be seeking to improperly influence BNF Publications content for personal benefit. Each reviewer is responsible for ensuring that all information relating to them is accurate, complete, and up to date.

Personal Interests

A personal interest involves payment to the reviewer personally. The main examples are:

• Consultancies: any consultancy, directorship, position or work for the pharmaceutical industry which attracts regular occasional payments in cash or kind
• Fee‐paid work: any work commissioned by the pharmaceutical industry for which the reviewer is paid in cash or kind
• Shareholdings: any shareholding in or other beneficial interests, in shares of the pharmaceutical industry. This does not include shareholdings through unit trusts or similar arrangements where the member has no influence on financial management.

Non‐Personal Interests

A non‐personal interest involves payment which benefits a department for which a reviewer is responsible, but is not received by the reviewer personally. The main examples are:

• Fellowships: the holding of a fellowship endowed by the pharmaceutical industry
• Support by the pharmaceutical industry: any payment, other support or sponsorship by the pharmaceutical industry which does not convey any pecuniary or material benefit to a reviewer personally but which does benefit the reviewer’s position or department, e.g.:

1. A grant from a company for running a unit or a department for which a reviewer is responsible
2. A grant of fellowship or other payment to sponsor a post or a member of staff in the unit for which a reviewer is responsible. This does not include financial assistance for students
3. The commissioning of research or other work by, or advice from, staff who work in a unit for which the reviewer is responsible

Only the name of the company and the nature of the interest are required. An interest is current if the reviewer has an ongoing financial involvement with the pharmaceutical industry, e.g. if the reviewer holds shares in the pharmaceutical industry, has a consultancy contract with the pharmaceutical industry, or if the reviewer or the department for which the reviewer is responsible is in the process of carrying out work for the pharmaceutical industry. Reviewers are required to include any declaration of interest for up to one year after the interest has ceased.