Sarah Moore reviews the current state of product liability in the UK, & asks: is it time for a consumer revolution?
- A recently announced review may be a sign that the regulatory and legislative frameworks surrounding pharmaceuticals and medical devices are no longer fit for purpose.
On 21 February 2018, the government announced an official review into the way in which consumer concerns have been handled by regulators and lawmakers in the UK. The review, to be chaired by Baroness Cumberlege, will focus on three specific products marketed historically and/or currently within the UK, including:
- Primodos—a hormone-based pregnancy test used in the UK between 1953-75 which campaigners allege has caused birth defects in their children.
- Sodium Valproate—a drug to control epilepsy, marketed in the UK since the 1970s and still available; alleged to have caused physical and cognitive birth defects in children born to mothers using the drug at the time of conception.
- Vaginal mesh—a medical device, still available in the UK, allegedly associated with extreme pain and damage to internal organs
