Medicines Regulation

Before they reach the patients who need them, and to ensure their continued safety once in wider use, all medicines, vaccines and medical devices are strictly regulated.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) exists to make sure that medicines, vaccines and medical devices work properly and meet the required standards of safety, quality and efficacy. It assesses all new medicines before they can be sold in the UK and continues to monitor the safety of medicines once licensed.

The MHRA also has a role in educating the public and healthcare professionals about the risks and benefits of medicines, and their safe and effective use. When the MHRA becomes aware of a potential issue with a medicine or medical device, it will take action to deal with it – this may include alerting healthcare professionals or in some cases requesting a medicine is temporarily or permanently withdrawn from the market.

Additionally, the MHRA plays an important part in ensuring that the supply chain for medicines and medical devices is safe and secure.

The MHRA collaborates with other international regulators, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), to align on common standards and approaches of regulation of medicines and medical devices, and continues to play an important role in influencing the UK and international regulatory frameworks, ensuring they’re risk-proportionate and effective at protecting the public health.

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