Reports to Yellow Card Scheme surge in Northern Ireland, annual report reveals

Love Ballymena
Jun 12
3 min read

Northern Ireland’s Yellow Card Centre has reported a significant rise in the number of people alerting authorities to suspected safety concerns linked to medicines and medical devices, according to its first annual report.

Launched in 2023, the Yellow Card Centre Northern Ireland is based within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and was established to raise awareness of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Yellow Card scheme.

The scheme enables patients, carers, and healthcare professionals to report suspected adverse events linked to healthcare products, such as side effects, defective medicines or fake medical devices.

According to the newly published annual report for 2023/24, a total of 797 Yellow Card reports were submitted in Northern Ireland — an increase of 32% compared to the previous year.

Growing awareness and action

Northern Ireland’s Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Professor Cathy Harrison, welcomed the upward trend in public engagement with the scheme:

“I am really encouraged to see that more people are reporting to the Yellow Card scheme in Northern Ireland.

“Reporting suspected side effects and adverse incidents, including defective or fake healthcare products, to the scheme helps to improve the safety of medicines and medical devices for all patients.”

Paula King, Regional Lead Pharmacist for the Yellow Card Centre and the Medicines and Poisons Advice Service, emphasised the Centre’s commitment to support and educate the public:

“The Yellow Card Centre team is here to help those who report, raise awareness, and provide education and training sessions.

“Your Yellow Card report plays a key part in keeping others safe. Anyone can report a suspected adverse reaction.

“You should report all suspected adverse reactions, even if the effect is well recognised or minor.”

National importance of reporting

At a UK-wide level, the MHRA has reiterated the vital role the scheme plays in identifying safety concerns early.

Dr Alison Cave, Chief Safety Officer at the MHRA, said:

“Patient safety is our top priority. The Yellow Card scheme plays a crucial role in our ongoing safety monitoring of medicines and medical devices, helping us identify potential issues early so we can take the necessary action to protect public health.

“We welcome Northern Ireland’s first Yellow Card Centre annual report, which highlights a 32% rise in reporting.

“Regional Yellow Card Centres are critical to supporting timely, high-quality reporting and we would like to thank the Northern Ireland team at the Department of Health and the Yellow Card Centre for their work in raising awareness.

“As always, we encourage patients, healthcare professionals and carers to report any suspected side effects to the Yellow Card scheme – every report counts.”

Encouraging safer healthcare

The scheme has long been instrumental in improving the safety of healthcare products across the UK. Reports to the Yellow Card scheme help identify previously unknown or rare adverse effects, contributing to safer use of medicines and medical devices for everyone.

Reports can be submitted directly through the Yellow Card website or via the Yellow Card app, available from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app also allows users to create a ‘watch list’ of medications to receive updates and alerts.

Context behind the numbers

The 32% increase refers specifically to general non-COVID-19 Yellow Card reports, which offer a more stable comparison to pre-pandemic levels. As noted in the report, Yellow Card submissions rose significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic across the UK, affecting year-on-year comparisons.

The methodology used to benchmark this year’s figures aligns with reporting practices adopted by other Yellow Card Centres.