Patient reporting of suspected adverse drug reaction pilots commenced, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 17 Jan 2005 - 14:00 PDT


Under new pilot schemes launched today, patients are encouraged to directly report suspected adverse drug reactions directly to the MHRA through the Yellow Card Scheme. For many years, this system has been available to healthcare professionals, but for the first time it is being opened patients, parents and carers.

Patient reporting will help the MHRA better understand the patient's experience and perspective of suspected adverse drug reactions.

Patients can now submit reports on suspected adverse drug reactions to the MHRA directly through:

-- the Yellow Card Scheme website at http://www.yellowcard.gov.uk (from 18 January 2005); or

-- paper-based Patient Yellow Card report forms . Patient Yellow Card forms have been made available in 4000 GP surgeries in the UK. If you would like a Patient Yellow Card form, please contact the MHRA on 020 7084 2000.

Recommendations to enable patients to directly report suspected adverse drug reactions to the MHRA were made in the Report of the Independent Review of Access to the Yellow Card Scheme. With the commencement of pilot reporting schemes, d esigning the best systems to enable patients to send reports of their suspected ADR experiences is now well underway.

More information on the development of patient reporting can be found in our Patient Reporting Working Group section:

Patient Reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions Working Group

This is a Press Release from the MHRA (UK)

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