Patients are to be allowed to report any unexpected side-effects they experience from drugs directly to the medicines watchdog for the first time, the government announced today.
They will be able to use the internet or complete side-effect forms available in GP surgeries in a series of pilot projects carried out by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Giving patients the right to report side effects is recommended in a report published today of a review of the 40-year-old "yellow card" system which was originally set up after the Thalidomide tragedy to allow health professionals to report drug safety hazards as early as possible.
Direct patient reporting will be rolled out immediately while other recommendations in the report, which include allowing researchers access to yellow card data, will be subject to consultation.
Making the announcement health minister Lord Warner said today: "Patients want and deserve to play their full part in making medicines safer.
"The yellow card system is recognised as one of the best spontaneous reporting schemes for adverse drug reactions in the world. By introducing direct patient reporting we will improve the scheme even further.
"Systems will be set up to allow patients to report any unexpected effects of their medication easily and quickly to the experts who monitor drug safety so that we can better protect public health."
The chairman of the MHRA, Alasdair Breckenbridge, added: "The yellow card scheme has been the cornerstone of monitoring drug safety for 40 years. The data generated through the scheme can be used to further research and improve drug safety in the UK.
"These proposals will help to ensure that the full potential of this data is realised."
The independent review of the yellow card system was carried out by an expert panel and was set up by the government last year to look at extending access to the data and how better use could be made of the information collected.
Details of the pilot patient reporting schemes and where they will take place will be released at a later date.
