A major new report into the lifecycle of medicines in the UK is published today (23 June 2025), which offers fresh insight into how medicines can better meet the needs of the people who develop, prescribe, and take them.
Better Medicines: Public and Professional Views on the Lifecycle from Discovery to Taking Medicines, was led by researchers at the University of Liverpool, Manchester Metropolitan University, and University College London, who commissioned independent social research agency Hopkins Van Mil to facilitate in-depth workshops and engagement activities with members of the public and healthcare professionals across the UK.
The report captures voices from across healthcare and life sciences - including people with lived experience, clinicians, researchers, industry professionals, and regulators - to explore how medicines are experienced and understood throughout their lifecycle.
This work was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Key findings
Both public and professional stakeholders agree that medicines have transformed health outcomes and view the underlying science as "amazing." There is widespread trust in the processes that ensure medicine safety, and gratitude for the UK's publicly funded health system, which supports access to needed treatments.
However, the report highlights substantial opportunities to optimise the lifecycle of medicines. The findings focus on areas where public and professional perspectives align - and where they diverge:
Research must reach more people
People want studies to go beyond big hospitals, include underrepresented groups, and focus on real-world issues like long-term medicine use and polypharmacy.
- Public concern: Long-term harms and lack of support to get involved.
- Professional challenge: Systemic barriers to community-based research.
Tackling the 'postcode lottery'
Public participants see regional differences in medicine access as unfair. Professionals argue these reflect local needs.
Both groups agree regulation could improve through:
- Better public awareness of the Yellow Card safety system
- Clearer, more accessible medicine information
- Views split on international standards - some public participants see the U.S. as offering more options, while professionals cite its opioid crisis as a warning.
Prescribing under pressure
- Public participants report rushed GP appointments and lack of continuity.
- Professionals cite fragmented systems that block team-based prescribing.
- Both struggle with transitions between care settings and managing multiple medications.
Rethinking medicine use
- People face medicine shortages and little support when switching treatments, sparking interest in non-drug alternatives.
- Healthcare professionals highlight care handover as a major disruptor.
- Both sides back shared decision-making, cutting waste, and giving patients more control.
"Our aim was to explore public views and attitudes towards medicines from discovery through to prescribing and use," said Principal Investigator Professor Reecha Sofat, Breckinridge Chair of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of Liverpool and NIHR Research Professor. "We wanted to understand how the system is experienced by both those who take medicines and those who work to make medicines and bring them to the population - from researchers and regulators to prescribers. By spending time discussing the medicines lifecycle with both public and professional stakeholders, we uncovered important similarities and differences in how the system is perceived and operates. If we address these, we can improve not only how medicines are delivered to the public, but also the lived experience of taking them."
The findings offer practical recommendations for researchers, clinicians, regulators, and policymakers to reshape how medicines are researched, prescribed, and used in the UK.
Next steps
Alison Pilnick, Professor of Language, Health and Society at Manchester Metropolitan University, and co-lead for the project said: "Stakeholders from all the groups involved in our research have valuable ideas about how we can bring about more meaningful public involvement in the medicines lifecycle, increase inclusivity in medicines research and provide better public access to medicines information. They also recognise that a major obstacle to better medicines use in the UK is the fact that current systems are not designed to support transition across care settings or to allow multiple professionals to have input. While not all problems have a technological solution, this is one key area where technological improvements could bring about positive change."
Access the full report: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/research/frontiers/therapeutics-innovation/
Therapeutics Innovation
The Therapeutics Innovation frontier was established to position the University of Liverpool at the forefront of efforts to revolutionise the drug discovery and medicine development pathway. Our distinctive capabilities bridge the gap between industry, global charities, and academia, enabling us to work collaboratively to tackle major health challenges. Watch our video to find out more.
