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Yellow Card reporting for patients, carers and the public

On this page you will find information about what to report, how to report and who to contact for help when completing a report.

Everyone can help make medicines safer by reporting side effects to the Yellow Card scheme. All medicines can cause side effects. Some may not yet be known so that's why it's important for people to report to the Yellow Card scheme. Many side effects are mild, but some can be serious and even life-threatening. Others appear after taking a medicine for a long time or even after stopping a medicine.

It is important for people to report as these are used to identify side effects and other problems which might not have been known about before. If a new side effect is found, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will review the way that the medicine can be used, and the warnings that are given to people taking it to minimise risk and maximise benefit to the patient.

You can report side effects that have happened to:

  • You personally
  • Your child
  • Someone you are responsible for (e.g. spouse, partner, or an adult child), or someone who asks you to make a report on their behalf with their agreement

The MHRA also collect Yellow Card reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals such as doctors, pharmacists and nurses.

Please note we cannot provide medical advice in individual cases. If you are worried about a symptom you think may be a side effect:

  • Check the patient information leaflet supplied with the medicine. This lists the known side effects and advises you what to do.
  • Talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

If you think you have experienced a side effect from your medicine, you can report it through the Yellow Card scheme:

Reporting online
It is easiest and quickest to report side effects online at http://www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard

Full instructions are given on the website. If you chose to register, you can also keep track of any Yellow Cards that you send.

Suspected side effects from medicines, vaccines or medical devices relating to COVID-19 treatment and prevention should be reported via the new dedicated COVID-19 reporting website.

By filling in a Yellow Card form
You can download and print a form directly from the Yellow Card website.

Alternatively forms can be found at pharmacies, GP surgeries or from the Yellow Card freephone by calling 0800 731 6789 (available weekdays 09:00 and 17:00).

Over the telephone
The Yellow Card hotline is on freephone 0800 731 6789 (available weekdays 09:00 and 17:00).

Completing the Yellow Card form
The form has five sections:

  1. About the suspected side effect
    The symptoms or a description of the side effect.
  2. About the person who had the suspected side effect
    Give as much information as you can, even if you prefer not to include a name.
  3. About the medicine(s) which might have caused the side effect
    As side effects can be caused by interactions between medicines, we need to know about any other medicines or herbal remedies being taken when the side effect happened.
  4. About your doctor (optional)
    If you give permission for us to contact your doctor, please supply contact details.
  5. About you (the person making the report)
    We need your name and contact details, so we can get in touch if we need more information. Please give a postal address even if you prefer not to give a phone number or email address.

Call the Yellow Card hotline on 0800 731 6789 or ask a healthcare professional (such as your doctor, nurse or pharmacist) for help.

We suggest that you have your medication and/or the leaflet that came with it in front of you while you fill out the report. Please complete as much of the form as possible however it does not matter if you cannot complete all sections of the Yellow Card.

Yellow Cards completed by patients or members of the public include personal contact information. We ask for these details so that we can get in touch if more information on the Yellow Card report is needed.

The information you provide will be kept safe, secure and confidential. Personal data will not be passed to any person outside the MHRA without your express permission. Furthermore, any details of the patient and reporter are excluded from the information that we are legally obliged to provide through the Freedom of Information act.

You can also ask someone else to send a report in about a suspected side effect if you do not wish to give us your name. We may need to contact this person for further information about the report.

The MHRA regularly publishes data about information given on the Yellow Card reports, but this never includes names or other personal details of the people who made the report.

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