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Peptency Academy · Guide

Reading MHRA Products UK medicine records

How can a specific product be identified in MHRA Products?

UK

MHRA Products is a UK service for finding medicine information by product, active substance or Product Licence number, abbreviated PL. Search the exact product or PL number, then compare the product and licence information with the attached documents. The service publishes the most up-to-date information for a medicine according to its licence history. Source sentenceHome, Search box and Medicine information, lines 5 and 54 to 62.1 MHRA: Products search and medicine information

Version 1Edited 3 sources

Regulatory content shown for: EU and UK.

Known, not known, contested

UK

Known

  • Medicine information is published according to licence history. The service’s stated Public Assessment Report coverage is for new marketing authorisations granted after 30 October 2005. Source sentenceSPCs and PILs, line 69; PARs, line 73.1 MHRA: Products search and medicine information

Not known

  • A search result does not settle the classification of a different product. MHRA assesses product claims, ingredient properties, intended purpose and public presentation when deciding whether a product is a medicine. Source sentenceHow we decide if a product is a medicine, factors list, lines 131 to 143; editorial inference restricts transfer between products.2 MHRA: Borderline product guidance, updated 2 July 2026

Contested

Nothing listed yet.

Record fields

UK

SPC or SmPC
A Summary of Product Characteristics, called SPC or SmPC, describes a medicinal product and the conditions attached to its use. Source sentenceSummaries of Product Characteristics and Patient Information Leaflets, line 67.1 MHRA: Products search and medicine information3 MHRA: marketing authorisation variation guidance and SPC templates
PIL
A Patient Information Leaflet, or PIL, accompanies a medicine pack and is based on its Summary of Product Characteristics. Source sentenceSPCs and PILs, lines 65 to 67.1 MHRA: Products search and medicine information
PAR
A Public Assessment Report, or PAR, is an MHRA scientific assessment report with commercially or personally confidential information removed. Source sentencePublic Assessment Reports, lines 73 to 75.1 MHRA: Products search and medicine information

Reading sequence

UK

  1. Search the exact product or PL number where available; use the active substance search or alphabetical list to locate candidate records rather than regarding a substance name as a finished product. Source sentenceSearch box and Medicine information, lines 5, 60 and 62; editorial reading instruction based on distinct search inputs.1 MHRA: Products search and medicine information
  2. Compare the exact product name and PL number in the selected record with the product and licence information in the attached documents before accepting a match. In MHRA’s SPC templates, section 9 is the date of initial authorisation or renewal, while section 10 is the date of revision of the text. These dates describe different parts of the record. Source sentenceSummary of product characteristics heading; SPC templates section8 marketing authorisation number, section9 first authorisation or renewal, section10 date of revision of text, lines538 to585.3 MHRA: marketing authorisation variation guidance and SPC templates1 MHRA: Products search and medicine information

UK

As an inference from the separate product search and classification processes, a missing search result does not itself decide classification. The MHRA borderline guidance, updated 2 July 2026, describes a separate assessment of whether a product is a medicine, including its packaging, websites and promotional claims. Source sentenceLast updated, lines 64 to 71; How we decide, lines 131 to 143; inference separates database search from classification process.2 MHRA: Borderline product guidance, updated 2 July 20261 MHRA: Products search and medicine information For a specific finished product, retain its identity and licence evidence separately from any classification question. Shared ingredient wording does not replace the MHRA assessment of that product and its presentation. Source sentenceHow we decide, factors list, lines 138 to 143; editorial evidence handling instruction, no legal conclusion inferred.2 MHRA: Borderline product guidance, updated 2 July 2026

Sources

  1. 1MHRA: Products search and medicine information accessed 16 Oct 2026
  2. 2MHRA: Borderline product guidance, updated 2 July 2026 accessed 16 Oct 2026
  3. 3MHRA: marketing authorisation variation guidance and SPC templates accessed 16 Oct 2026

About this page

Research-use information. This library summarises published literature and regulator records. It is not guidance for use, not medical advice, and not a statement that any material is suitable for use in people or animals.

Reviewed by the Peptency editorial process. Version 1, last edited 16 October 2026, 3 sources.

Cite this page: Peptency Academy. Reading MHRA Products UK medicine records. Version 1./eu/academy/guides/uk-medicine-records/