The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) was an independent advisory committee that advised the UK Licensing Authority on the quality, efficacy, and safety of

medicines A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...

. Following the

thalidomide Thalidomide, sold under the brand names Contergan and Thalomid among others, is a medication used to treat a number of cancers (including multiple myeloma), graft-versus-host disease, and a number of skin conditions including complications o ...

tragedy of 1957 to 1961, in 1963 the government asked Sir Derrick Dunlop to set up a committee to investigate the control and introduction of new medicines in the United Kingdom. In June 1963 the Committee on Safety of Drugs (CSD) was established. As a result of the subsequent report to the

Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their ow ...

, which reinforced the need for specially trained doctors (clinical pharmacologists) in pharmaceutical companies and academic departments of medicine, Dunlop became the first chairman of the Committee. Under the

Medicines Act 1968 The Medicines Act 1968 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom, more properly: An Act to make new provision with respect to medicinal products and related matters, and for purposes connected therewith. It governs the control of medicines for ...

, the CSD was replaced in 1970 by the Medicines Commission, which established the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) as a Government advisory committee under Section 4 of the Act. It was replaced on 30 October 2005 by the

Commission on Human Medicines The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) is a committee of the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. It was formed in October 2005, and assumed the responsibilities of the Medicines Commission and the Committee on Safety of Med ...

which combines the functions of both the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the

Medicines Commission The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) is a committee of the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. It was formed in October 2005, and assumed the responsibilities of the Medicines Commission and the Committee on Safety of Med ...

Chairs

* The first chairman of the CSD was Sir Derek Dunlop. * The first chairman of the CSM was Sir Eric Scowan. * 1980–1986. Professor Sir Abraham Goldberg * 1987–1992. Professor Sir

William Asscher Sir Adolf William Asscher (1930 – 20 July 2014) was a Dutch-born British consultant nephrologist. Asscher was born in the Netherlands. His family was of Jewish heritage; they were thus deported to Westerbork transit camp, from where his mothe ...

, previously chair of the

Committee on the Review of Medicines A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

* 1993–1998. Professor Sir Michael Rawlins * 1999–2005. Professor Sir Alasdair Breckenridge For later chairs, see

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Committee On Safety Of Medicines Medical regulation in the United Kingdom Defunct public bodies of the United Kingdom

Chairs

See also

References