Patient reporting and public access to safety data.(Regulatory Action)(published data on drug safety)(Brief Article)

United Kingdom -- Patients and researchers will be able to access data on the safety of different medicines as a move to further improve the drug side effect reporting system--the Yellow Card Scheme--used to monitor the safety of medicines in the United Kingdom.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will publish anonymous data on suspected adverse drug reactions on their website. Researchers will also be able to access more detailed data and measures will be put in place to prevent potential abuse of the information. Every request will be reviewed by an independent committee to make sure it is ethically and scientifically sound and protects …