A reform of the way drugs are regulated has been outlined by ministers to make the system more independent. A new code of conduct has been drawn up for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) body responsible for licensing. It proposes not allowing the members of the body, the Commission for the Safety of Medicines (CSM), to hold interests in the pharmaceutical industry. It also calls for more patient involvement in the process. Two lay representatives will sit on the CSM, the new name for the Committee for the Safety of Medicines, as well as patient representatives on every expert advisory group under the plans. The MHRA has also written to pharmaceutical companies to demand more action on their agreement to publish their clinical trial data.
