The National Formulary of India is essentially meant for the guidance of the members of the medical profession; medical students, nurses and pharmacists working in hospitals and in sales establishments. In the preparation of this Formulary, the expert opinion of medical practitioners, teachers in medicine, nurses, pharmacists and Pharmaceutical manufacturers has been obtained. The selection of drugs for inclusion in the National Formulary has been made taking into consideration the relative advantages and disadvantages of the various drugs used, the extent of their use in current medical practice and their availability in the country. Thus the National Formulary of India represents a broad consensus of medical opinion in respect of drugs and their formulations and provides the physician with carefully selected therapeutic agents of proved effectiveness which form the basis of national drug therapy.

As more than three decades have elapsed since the publication of the last edition of the National Formulary of India, it is to be expected that there would be a large number of additions and consequent deletions.  The experts are working to publish the pre-print version of the 4^th edition of NFI by end of July 2010. This edition would have many distinct features to promote the rational use of medicines in the country.

The formulations included in the Formulary and the ingredients thereof should conform to the standards laid down in the current edition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia. If no standards are specified in the current edition but are specified in the immediately preceding edition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia then these standards would apply. In respect of drugs for which no standards have been laid down in the Indian Pharmacopoeia, these would have to conform to the standards laid down in the official pharmacopoeia of any other country wherein they are included. The provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Rules made thereunder including those relating to labelling and conditions of storage should be observed.