Yellow Cards: bad in football; brilliant in patient safety

Yellow Cards: bad in football; brilliant in patient safety
As football fans across the country get behind England, the MHRA wants to keep any Yellow Cards off the pitch – and instead let people know that Yellow Cards can make an important impact in a very different way by helping make medicines and medical devices safer for everyone.
As football fans across the country get behind England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) wants to keep any Yellow Cards off the pitch – and instead let people know that Yellow Cards can make an important impact in a very different way by helping make medicines and medical devices safer for everyone.
Every Yellow Card sent into the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme about a suspected side effect with a medicine or a safety issue with a medical device can really make a difference and help improve their safety for patients and the public.
Through the Yellow Card scheme one person’s experience can help protect many others. Every report adds to the evidence the MHRA uses to spot possible safety concerns, investigate emerging safety patterns and act when needed. A single Yellow Card may seem small, but together these reports can change product information, strengthen warnings, and help make medicines and medical devices safer for everyone.
While England’s players will be hoping to avoid a Yellow Card in their matches, the MHRA encourages everyone to fill in a Yellow Card to report suspected side effects or safety concerns from medicines and medical devices.
Lawrence Tallon, MHRA Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of NHS Spurs, Official Supporters Club, said:
“We don’t want many yellows for our lads on Saturday; and definitely not another red! But when it comes to medicines and medical device safety, Yellow Cards are always welcome at the MHRA.
“Every report counts and helps us build a better picture of the safety of medicines and medical devices. Even if you’re not certain a medicine or device caused the problem, your report could make a difference and help keep patients safe.”
Notes to Editors:
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For media enquiries and broadcast interviews about the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.
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You can find examples of where reporting to the Yellow Card scheme has made a difference in our case studies. One example is from a woman who, after three months of being prescribed the contraceptive Yasmin, suffered a large amount of hair loss (alopecia). She suspected this might be due to the medicine she was taking. She completed a Yellow Card report online. Her Yellow Card report caused a review of this issue that resulted in the patient information leaflet being updated to include hair loss (alopecia) under ‘uncommon side effects’.
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You can also view information on what is being reported.
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Anyone can report an issue with a medicine, vaccine, medical device (including software, apps and artificial intelligence), blood product or e-cigarette to the Yellow Card scheme.
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Speak to your doctor, pharmacist, or call NHS 111 if you are worried about your health. If you’re deaf and want to use the phone service, you can use the NHS British Sign Language service available in your country.
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The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.
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The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.