Committee on Safety of Medicines


Commission on Human Medicines

A body established by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2005, which combines the functions of the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Commission.
Commission on Human Medicines duties:
• Advise ministers on matters relating to human medicinal products (except those that fall under the remit of Advisory Board on the Registration of Homoeopathic Products (ABRH) and Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee (HMAC)).
• Advise the licensing authority (LA) where the LA has a duty to consult the Commission or where the LA chooses to consult the Commission, including giving advice in relation to the safety, quality and efficacy of human medicinal products.
• Consider representations made in relation to the Commission’s advice (either in writing or at a hearing) by an applicant or by a licence or marketing authorisation holder.
• Promote the collection and investigation of information relating to adverse reactions for human medicines (except for those products that fall within the remit of ABRH or HMAC) for the purposes of enabling such advice to be given.

Committee on Safety of Medicines

An official body that receives reports of adverse side effects of drugs, vaccines, X-ray contrast media, blood products, materials IUCDs or contact lens fluids from doctors, dentists and pharmacists by way of the Medicines Control Agency. Prescribers are provided with prepaid yellow cards with they are urged to complete and send in whenever adverse effects are noted.