Executive summary
As the roles of pharmacists, advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs), specialist nurses, and physician associates (PAs) continue to expand across UK primary care, the need for a robust, efficient, and safe digital toolkit has never been greater. The safe adoption of AI-powered tools can significantly accelerate both exam preparation and day-to-day clinical care, but this must be paired with a deep understanding of UK-specific governance and a reliance on trusted primary sources (NHS Employers).
This guide provides a definitive 2025 toolkit for these vital roles. The core stack includes foundational knowledge and Q&A tools like the UK-centric iatroX, the NHS-funded BMJ Best Practice, and Dyna AI. For specialised tasks, C the Signs supports cancer risk triage, while SimConverse offers AI-powered communication practice. All these modern tools must be used to complement, not replace, the authoritative UK references: NICE CKS, the BNF, and the Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS).
Roles, exams and scopes
- Pharmacists: Your practice is increasingly clinical, guided by CPPE pathways for services like Pharmacy First and the RPS Prescribing Competency Framework for independent prescribers.
- ANPs/ACPs & specialist nurses: Your development and governance are structured by the NHS England Multi-professional Framework for Advanced Clinical Practice.
- Physician Associates: The Physician Associate Registration Assessment (PARA), also known as the PANE, is your key exam, with its format and standards set by the RCP and GMC.
The core clinical stack you’ll actually use on shift
iatroX (free, UK-centric)
A UKCA-marked, MHRA-registered clinical tool providing citation-linked answers to help you find and verify information from UK-accepted guidance and peer-reviewed research. Its adaptive Quiz with spaced repetition is mapped to UK curricula, and its mobile apps work offline.
BMJ Best Practice (NHS-funded access)
An essential evidence-based point-of-care tool, freely available to all NHS staff via OpenAthens. Its structured content and EHR integrations make it invaluable in busy clinical settings.
Dyna AI (EBSCO)
The generative AI layer over the respected DynaMed and DynaMedex databases. It uses a RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) architecture to provide quick, sourced responses to clinical questions.
NICE CKS & BNF
These are your non-negotiable sources of truth. NICE CKS provides authoritative management pathways for primary care, while the BNF is the definitive reference for all prescribing decisions. AI outputs should always be verified against them.
Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS)
The go-to resource for complex medicines Q&As, monitoring advice, and guidance on interactions and Patient Group Directions (PGDs).
Cancer triage (C the Signs)
An AI-powered tool integrated directly into EMIS, SystmOne, and Vision, designed to help clinicians perform rapid cancer risk assessments and guide appropriate referrals, with real-world deployments across England.
Exam & assessment support
- Pharmacists (registration/OSCE style): Use the CPPE learning resources for Pharmacy First service delivery updates. For practical skills, Geeky Medics offers a bank of pharmacy OSCE stations. You can use the iatroX Quiz to interleave therapeutics questions with rapid guideline look-ups.
- ANPs/specialist nurses: Align your revision to the pillars of the Advanced Practice framework. Use a tool like SimConverse to run drills on complex communication and consultation scenarios.
- Physician Associates (PARA/PANE): Your exam has both a Knowledge Based Assessment (KBA) and an OSCE component. Use the official RCP blueprint, and practise your communication and reasoning skills with AI tools like Geeky Medics AI patients or SimConverse.
“Revise, verify, retain” — a simple AI-enabled study loop
- Practise with a bank of scenarios (e.g., from Geeky Medics or a question bank).
- Verify the underlying clinical knowledge using iatroX, then click through to the primary source page on NICE CKS or the BNF to confirm the date and full context.
- Retain the knowledge using a spaced repetition tool, like the iatroX Quiz or flashcards. Evidence shows this leads to higher scores and longer retention (PMC).
Primary-care workflows these tools improve
- Diagnostic breadth & safety-netting: Use a tool like iatroX for guideline-aligned answers, and a tool like C the Signs to flag potential cancer risk and guide a rapid, safe referral.
- Prescribing decisions: Start with the CKS/BNF for standard dosing and contraindications, and consult the SPS for more complex interaction or monitoring frameworks.
- Communication & consultation quality: Rehearse difficult conversations about capacity or safety-netting using simulated patients from SimConverse or Geeky Medics.
- Knowledge on-the-go: Use BMJ Best Practice or Dyna AI to get concise, sourced summaries of a topic directly at the point of care.
Governance & safety when using AI in clinic
- DTAC (Digital Technology Assessment Criteria): This is the baseline for NHS procurement, covering clinical safety, data protection, and other key criteria.
- Ambient scribe considerations: If your practice adopts an AI scribe, you must follow the 2025 NHSE guidance on safe use, clinician oversight, and information governance.
- Prescribing standards: The RPS Prescribing Competency Framework has been adopted by the NMC and HCPC. Use it to structure your CPD and supervision.
Role-based mini-stacks (editor’s pick)
- Pharmacist (community/PCN): iatroX ↔ CKS/BNF/SPS; CPPE for Pharmacy First; BMJ Best Practice for quick differentials.
- ANP/ACP: iatroX; Dyna AI; BMJ Best Practice; SimConverse for complex consultations.
- Specialist nurse: iatroX for UK guidance; SPS for monitoring protocols; Geeky Medics for counselling OSCEs.
- Physician Associate: iatroX for rapid UK guideline retrieval; the official PARA/PANE blueprint + SimConverse/Geeky Medics for OSCE practice.
Resource matrix
| Task | Tool(s) | Why it helps | Evidence/Link | Governance Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer Risk Triage | C the Signs | Flags risk, guides referral | healthinnovationeast.co.uk | Use in-EHR, DTAC-aligned |
| Prescribing | BNF/SPS | Authoritative UK source | BNF / SPS websites | Core professional duty |
| Guideline Q&A | iatroX / BMJ Best Practice / Dyna AI | Fast, cited answers | iatrox.com / BMJ / EBSCO | Verify with primary source |
| Comms/OSCE | SimConverse / Geeky Medics | AI patient practice | SimConverse / Geeky Medics | For training, not live care |
| Study Retention | iatroX Quiz (spaced repetition) | Improves long-term recall | Evidence from PMC | For personal study |
FAQs
- Are these tools allowed in my professional exams?
- No. They are for revision and professional development only. You must always follow the specific regulations for your exam.
- Is BMJ Best Practice really free for NHS staff?
- Yes, in England, access is centrally funded. You can access it via your NHS OpenAthens account.
- Do AI tools replace the need to check CKS/BNF?
- No. You should always verify AI-generated answers against the primary sources. Treat AI as a tool that provides acceleration to the right answer, not as the final authority itself.