Welcome to Yellow Card Centre Wales
Yellow Card Centre Wales (formerly named CSM Wales) is one of five regional adverse drug reaction monitoring centres, acting on behalf of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
YCC Wales has a vital educational and communicating role to encourage suspected adverse reaction reporting via the Yellow Card Scheme to both patients and local health professionals in Wales.
Staff at YCC Wales are available to advise on Yellow Card reporting and offer education and training sessions about suspected adverse drug reactions to all health professionals and patient groups. These can range from small informal meetings to formal lectures and we can tailor these sessions to cover:-
- How to recognise a suspected Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR)
- The importance of reporting
- What to report on a Yellow Card
- The challenge of ADRs in Wales
- How Yellow Card Information is used
- Avoiding ADRs and interactions
- Safe and effective prescribing
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SWINE FLU INFORMATION
With the increased usage of antiviral medicines (Tamiflu and Relenza) for the treatment of swine flu the MHRA has put in place measures to monitor the safety of these important medicines. Suspected side effects to antivirals, and when available H1N1 swine flu vaccines, should be reported via a dedicated internet-based reporting system, the ‘Swine Flu ADR Portal’. The MHRA has developed this Portal to sit alongside the Yellow Card Scheme and act as the main channel through which healthcare professionals and patients/carers can report suspected side effects.
FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.MHRA.GOV.UK/SWINEFLU
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COMMUNITY PHARMACIST HEALTHCARE CAMPAIGN - ADVERSE DRUG REPORTING BY PATIENTS
On 18 February 2008 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) launched a six-week campaign to encourage community pharmacists to mention the Yellow Card (YC) Scheme when they talk to their customers about their medicines. Pharmacists will receive an information pack containing updated Yellow Card reporting forms, information leaflets, and a new poster for display in their pharmacy. All literature is available in the Welsh language.
The Yellow Card reporting forms have been made simpler and easier to use than previous versions and an updated online system at www.yellowcard.gov.uk will make it quicker and easier to report suspected side effects of medicines to the MHRA.
Dr June Raine, Director of Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines at the MHRA said, “We are keen to let people know that whilst their medicines have important benefits, they may also have unwanted side effects. If you suspect that you have had a side effect to your medicine, please tell us about it via the Yellow Card Scheme. Please speak to your local pharmacist if you need help to do this, as they can provide expert help and support. Please pick up and fill out our improved reporting form or go online and tell us about your experiences there. By providing this information, not only are we able to gain better insights into the safety of medicines, but you can directly become involved in medicines regulation.”
The press release can by downloaded here
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CSM Wales has been renamed the Yellow Card Centre Wales (YCC Wales)
Following the recommendations of the Report of an Independent Review of Access to the Yellow Card Scheme our name has now changed to Yellow Card Centre Wales. This coincided with the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) being replaced with the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) and the new Sentinel IT system and yellow card processing arrangements at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Since 31 May 2006 Yellow Cards with the CSM Wales address have been automatically redirected to a central MHRA address and receipt of all Yellow Cards will now be acknowledged by the MHRA in London. If further information is required concerning a reported adverse reaction the MHRA will ask YCC Wales to obtain it from the reporter.
In the future YCC Wales will concentrate on its vital educational and communicating role to encourage suspected adverse reaction reporting amongst local health professionals.