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Children in England will be taught how to use the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) Yellow Card scheme, as part of changes to statutory guidance for schools.
In a statement published on 17 September 2026, which is World Patient Safety Day, the MHRA said that the scheme would now form part of relationships, sex and health education teaching in schools.
Children will be taught what a side effect of a medicine is, the importance of reporting problems with medicines and how to submit a Yellow Card report.
The teaching will be included in statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education, which will also include pupils learning about the work of the MHRA.
The MHRA-managed Yellow Card scheme allows anyone to report an adverse event or side effect involving medicines and medical devices in the UK.
“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,” a statement from the MHRA added.
Lawrence Tallon, chief executive of the MHRA, commented: “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.”
Kate Ryan, patient safety manager at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), said: “The RPS supports this initiative to raise awareness of medicine safety from a young age.
“Educating children and young people on how to identify, manage and report side effects from medicines and medical devices through the Yellow Card scheme will empower them to take an active role in protecting their own health and help build a culture of patient safety for the future.”
In June 2025, Healthcare Improvement Scotland said that more should be done to raise awareness and promote use of the scheme in Scotland, after a survey found that just 10% of people who experienced medication side effects reported them through the Yellow Card scheme.
The Yellow Card Centre Scotland is a joint venture between MHRA and the Scottish government.
In Wales, the Yellow Card Centre Wales acts on behalf of the MHRA.
