The pilot will build on the encouraging response from patients and members of the public to initial patient reporting pilots that have been running since January. The insight and experience gained through these initial pilots, together with consultation with patients and members of the public, has facilitated the development of a UK-wide patient reporting pilot.

The pilot will make patient Yellow Card forms available at a wide range of outlets across the NHS, including community pharmacies, GP surgeries and at Patient Advice and Liaison Centres and Offices. Reporting via the web on the Yellow Card website (at www.yellowcard.gov.uk) and to the freephone Yellow Card hotline will also be piloted.

Through the course of the development of pilots for patient reporting, the MHRA and the CSM, the Government’s independent scientific committee on medicines safety, have been advised by the CSM’s Working Group on Patient Reporting. The Working Group have focused on the development of patient reporting mechanisms that are easy to use and access, while providing the information needed to monitor effectively the safety of medicines.

Patient reporting through the Yellow Card Scheme represents a significant step forward in involving patients and members of the public in medicines safety monitoring. The Yellow Card Scheme is vital for protecting public health, and the MHRA and CSM welcome reports on the whole range of medicines, including prescribed medicines, over the counter medicines and complementary remedies (including herbal remedies). There are many reasons why receiving Yellow Card reports from patients is important, but particularly to better understand the patient's view and experience of suspected side effects.