National Library for Health

As the role of pharmacists grows, so to does the knowledge base that pharmacists need access to. The National Library for Health aims to provide health care professionals and the public (through NHS Direct Online and the New Library Network) with knowledge and know-how to support health care related decisions. Click on the links below for more information:

National Library for Health

National electronic Library for Medicines

Obtaining an Athens Password

All community pharmacists are eligible to sign-up for NHS Athens accounts to access secure content held on the National Library for Health, for example full-text articles that are normally available under subscription only.

An online form to register can be found on the National Library for Health website. Once a personal account has been set up access is available 24/7 from any internet enabled PC. Registration is confirmed immediately if registration is undertaken through N3. It is also possible to register through a standard internet connection, but the application may take up to 15 days to be processed whilst eligibility if verified.

To prevent any delays in the registration process, it is important to ensure that the name used in the application, matches your name as it appears in the RPSGB register. If problems are experienced, for example if the request is declined, pharmacists should contact their regional NHS helpdesk.