Consultation on how MHRA communicate with healthcare professionals to improve medicines and medical devices’ safety
Download the full outcome
Detail of outcome
The MHRA ran a 16-week consultation from 13 October 2022 to 31 January 2023, gathering insight and recommendations through an online survey, interviews and focus groups, and a number of organisations also submitted written responses. Responses were received from HCPs from all 4 nations of the UK, as well as patient safety leads, patient safety experts, representatives of professional bodies and patient safety organisations.
The feedback was remarkably consistent, and the MHRA values the clear and direct suggestions about what works and what needs improvement. This addressed not only safety communications and websites, but also about how the MHRA raises awareness of its own activities and engages with HCPs and organisations.
The consultation outcomes will underpin the MHRA’s risk and safety three-year communications strategy, shaping the MHRA safety communication output and ongoing engagement with HCPs and ensuring that the MHRA supports HCPs and organisations across the medicines, devices, and patient safety landscape. Patients remain at the heart of the agency’s focus, with plans to further embed meaningful patient involvement across the agency’s regulatory pathways, and to develop efficacy and safety information that better meets the needs of all patients.
There are 13 key recommendations, which fall into 4 main themes:
- communications
- websites
- awareness and education
- engagement.
Though the remit for many actions lies with the MHRA, for others, there are many interdependencies at the organisational and system level whose support will affect how well the MHRA is able to respond.
Original consultation
Consultation description
The MHRA is reviewing its approach to engagement with healthcare professionals to improve the safety of medicines and medical devices.
We want to ensure that healthcare professionals are receiving actionable information and guidance on safe use of medicines and medical devices that they can take into their working practice, providing timely advice to patients.
We need to improve the way we communicate with healthcare professionals. We want to hear from you to enable us to transform how we communicate with you and how we work together on our common goal of greater patient safety.
Your Participation
You can participate in this consultation anonymously but if you choose to provide your email address, we will add you to our mailing list to offer you future opportunities to hear about or get involved in our work.
Please note that you do not have to answer every question and compulsory questions are clearly marked.
Last updated 11 December 2023 + show all updates
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Published Executive summary of consultation and recommendations.
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Extended the consultation deadline to 31 January 2023
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First published.