MHRA and Department for Education embed medicine safety into school curriculum to empower young people

On World Patient Safety Day (17 September), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is proud to announce a major milestone in its mission to protect public health: for the first time, the importance of medicine safety and how to report side effects of medicines via the Yellow Card scheme is now part of the RSHE statutory guidance for schools in England. 

Working in close partnership with the Department for Education (DfE), the MHRA has successfully embedded this life-saving knowledge into the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance – reaching children and young people in classrooms across the country. 

This bold step puts patient safety into the hands of the next generation, giving them the tools to recognise and report side effects from medicines. 

The curriculum changes are reflected in the statutory guidance, which now links directly to the Yellow Card scheme and a dedicated child-friendly guide tested with over 3,500 children and young people.

The content covers: 

• What a side effect is.
• Why it’s important to report problems with medicines.
• How to submit a Yellow Card report.
• Who the MHRA are and how they help keep the public safe.

Lawrence Tallon, MHRA Chief Executive, said: 

“This World Patient Safety Day, we’re marking a new era in public health. By equipping young people with knowledge about medicine safety, we’re laying the foundations for a lifetime of safer healthcare. The inclusion of information on how to report side effects via the Yellow Card scheme in schools ensures every child knows that their voice matters in making medicines and devices safer for everyone.” 

Professor Henrietta Hughes, the Patient Safety Commissioner, said: 

“It’s excellent to see Yellow Card reporting on the school curriculum, so more people know how to report possible side effects.  No one knows themselves better than patients and their families.  When we respect and act on what patients say, improved safety from medicines and medical devices will follow.” 

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Source: MHRA, 17 September 2025