Memorandum of Understanding between the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority and the Health Research Authority

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) and the Health Research Authority (HRA) came into force on 1 February 2026.

The purpose of the MOU is to set out the regulatory responsibility between the PMCPA and the HRA in relation to handling complaints about UK participant-facing clinical trial recruitment materials (e.g. posters, flyers, advertisements on social media etc.). The terms in the MOU have been agreed between the PMCPA, the ABPI and the HRA. The MHRA was consulted on the principles.

The MOU aims to provide regulatory clarity, avoid duplication and allow pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders to be provided with consistent decisions and guidance in this area.

Guidance and queries in relation to clinical trial recruitment material should be sent to the HRA: approvals@hra.nhs.uk.

Queries on the MOU may be sent to the PMCPA: info@pmcpa.org.uk.

 

Notes to Editors

The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) was established by The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) to operate the ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry independently of the ABPI. The PMCPA is a division of the ABPI. The Code covers the promotion of medicines for prescribing to health professionals and the provision of information to the public about prescription only medicines. The Code and other information, including details about ongoing cases, can be found on the PMCPA website: www.pmcpa.org.uk. The PMCPA is a division of the ABPI which is a company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales no 09826787. Registered office 2nd Floor Goldings House, Hay’s Galleria, 2 Hay’s Lane, London, SE1 2HB.

The Health Research Authority is an arm’s length body of the Department of Health and Social Care. Its vision is for high-quality health and social care research today, which improves everyone’s health and wellbeing tomorrow. Its strategic objectives include making the UK the easiest place in the world to do excellent health and social care research that people can trust, helping grow the contribution of life sciences to our economy. To do this it gives approvals and assurances, working in partnership UK-wide to provide a world-class regulatory system. Information about the HRA is available at www.hra.nhs.uk.