PAGB, the consumer healthcare association, hosted a pivotal meeting with Lawrence Tallon, Chief Executive Officer and Julian Beach, Interim Executive Director Healthcare Quality and Access at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), as the agency shapes its new five-year strategy. It was encouraging to learn about MHRA’s vision and their willingness to engage with organisations like PAGB to help shape their strategy.
Attended by representatives from PAGB’s Board and senior leads from member companies, the meeting centred on advocating for an enabling, predictable, and innovation-friendly regulatory environment, with a particular focus on reclassification, naming, and umbrella branding of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines.
Key topics of discussion included the vital role over-the-counter products (OTCs) play in supporting the NHS, the economy, and public health, saving the NHS £6.4 billion annually and preventing 164 million lost workdays. PAGB highlighted that streamlining the reclassification process could unlock £1.4 billion in additional NHS savings.
Discussions also addressed some of the regulatory challenges that companies face, and called for predictable pathways, evidence-based decisions, and a collaborative approach between MHRA and industry to drive self-care and growth across the UK.
The meeting was an engaging and helpful discussion, feeding into MHRA’s strategic review and promoting the benefits that self-care and the OTC sector can support to deliver. We look forward to seeing the progression of these discussions and welcome more collaborative meetings moving forward.
