The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. the MHRA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

The MHRA has three centres:

• The Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), a data research service that aims to improve public health by using anonymised NHS clinical data;
• The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), a global leader in the standardisation and control of biological medicines; and
• The MHRA, the UK’s regulator of medicines, medical devices and blood components for transfusion, responsible for ensuring their safety, quality and effectiveness.

The agency is responsible for:

• ensuring that medicines, medical devices and blood components for transfusion meet applicable standards of safety, quality and efficacy;
• ensuring that the supply chain for medicines, medical devices and blood components is safe and secure;
• promoting international standardisation and harmonisation to assure the effectiveness and safety of biological medicines;
• helping to educate the public and healthcare professionals about the risks and benefits of medicines, medical devices and blood components, leading to safer and more effective use;
• supporting innovation and research and development that’s beneficial to public health; and
• influencing UK, EU and international regulatory frameworks so that they’re risk-proportionate and effective at protecting public health.