MHRA launches patient safety essay competition for MedSafetyWeek

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is urging everyone to help protect patients by reporting all types of safety concerns from medicines and healthcare products, including medical devices, using the Yellow Card scheme, as part of the eleventh annual #MedSafetyWeek (2-8 November 2026) campaign.

This year's global campaign message is clear: "Don't ignore suspected side effects, report them." More than 130 organisations from over 120 countries will share medicines-safety messages in more than 60 languages.

You can support the campaign to raise awareness of the Yellow Card scheme by using the new campaign materials on the Yellow Card website, including posters, digital screens, waiting room materials and social media assets, to raise awareness and promote Yellow Card reporting and by following MHRA social media channels and sharing content using #MHRAYellowCard, #MedSafetyWeek, #ReportSideEffects and #patientsafety to raise awareness of reporting.

To coincide with #MedSafetyWeek, the MHRA has also launched its 2026 national patient safety essay competition on the detection and reporting of AI-related adverse events. This year the competition also invites pharmacy students to take place alongside UK medical students.

Essay competition widens to pharmacy students following strong demand

The MHRA Patient Safety Essay Competition launched last year to a strong response, with 68 entries received from more than 30 medical schools across the UK. Following queries from pharmacists keen to get involved, the MHRA has expanded the 2026 competition to include pharmacy students, reflecting the vital role pharmacy professionals play in medicine safety.

Entrants are invited to submit an essay of up to 2,000 words on the topic: "Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to play a transformative role in healthcare over the next 5 years. Using examples, explain how the Yellow Card scheme can enable the identification of risks associated with the adoption of AI as a medical device. Consider practical ways to improve the detection and reporting of AI-related adverse events by patients and healthcare professionals using the Yellow Card scheme. Discuss how improved reporting could support the safe use of AI-enabled medical devices."

Entries close on Monday 11 January 2027. Six prizes are available. First prize winners receive £500 and an invitation to present their essay at a national meeting of the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), the independent advisory body on medicine safety, and the Interim Devices Working Group (IDWG). Second and third prizes of £300 and £200 are also available in each category.

Professor Anthony Harnden, MHRA Chair and professor of primary care at the University of Oxford, said:

"Last year's essay competition showed just how engaged medical students and foundation doctors are with the challenge of making medicines safer. The theme of AI in healthcare could not be more timely. As these technologies become part of everyday clinical practice, we need the next generation of healthcare professionals thinking now about how we identify and report the risks they bring. This year we've widened the competition to pharmacy students too, recognising the vital role they play in medicine safety. I'd encourage every eligible student to take part, whether studying medicine or pharmacy; your insight could genuinely help shape how we monitor the safety of AI-enabled medical devices across the country."

A call to action - report safety concerns from all healthcare products

Medicines, vaccines, blood products and medical devices save lives and improve health, but problems can occur. Side effects may appear suddenly or develop gradually, while device problems may involve faults, failures or unexpected results.

You do not need to prove that a product caused the problem before submitting a Yellow Card. Reports are particularly important when a reaction is serious, affects day-to-day life, is not listed in the product or user information, or follows a change in medicine, dose or combination of treatments.

Alison Cave, Chief Safety Officer at the MHRA, said:

"Every Yellow Card report matters. It gives us real-world evidence about how medicines and medical devices are being used and helps us identify possible safety issues that may not have been seen before.

If you suspect a side effect, experience a problem with a medical device, find a medicine may be defective, or think a medical product could be fake, please do not ignore it. You do not need to be certain, and your report could help us connect the dots and protect others from harm.

"I'd particularly encourage healthcare professionals to report problems with medical devices, including AI-enabled devices, where we know reporting rates are currently low. As these technologies become more common in clinical practice, this kind of first-hand reporting is vital to help us spot and act on safety issues early. "

Please submit a Yellow Card for:

• Suspected side effects from medicines, vaccines, herbal remedies, homeopathic products or e-cigarette products

• Medical device incidents, including faults, failures or unexpected behaviour

• Suspected defective medicines or concerns about product quality

• Suspected fake or unlicensed medical products, particularly those obtained online or through social media

Anyone can report, including patients, parents, carers and healthcare professionals. A report should include as much information as possible, but it is still valuable if every detail is not available.

How to report

Report online at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk or through the Yellow Card app. Reporting usually takes only a few minutes. If you are worried about your health, contact a healthcare professional; the Yellow Card scheme cannot provide medical advice.

Enter the 2026 essay competition at Patient safety essay competition.

Stay informed and help spread the message

Read the patient information leaflet or instructions supplied with a product, discuss known side effects with a healthcare professional, and consider whether new or changing symptoms could be linked to the healthcare product.

Don't ignore suspected side effects or other safety concerns - report them through the Yellow Card scheme.

Notes to Editors

The full terms and conditions for the essay competition are available at: Patient safety essay competition

#MedSafetyWeek is an international campaign led by Uppsala Monitoring Centre, the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for International Drug Monitoring. The campaign is supported by the World Health Organization, members of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities and other national and international organisations with an interest in medicine safety. MHRA is part of the planning team for #MedSafetyWeek since its inception.

The 2026 campaign runs from 2-8 November. More than 130 organisations from over 120 countries are expected to share campaign messages in more than 60 languages.

The 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 of the Department of Health and Social Care.

People should contact a healthcare professional if they are worried about their health. The MHRA cannot provide individual medical advice.

For media enquiries, contact [email protected] or call 020 3080 7651.