Glossary of MHRA terms - P

P

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P (Medicine)
Pharmacy medicines. This is a category of medicine which does not require a prescription but which has to be sold under the supervision of a pharmacist. "P" appears on the label.

P&CC
Primary and Community Care.

P&CC/ WMS
See: AT.

PACS
Picture Archiving and Communications Systems.

PACSnet
Picture Archiving and Communications Systems National Evaluation Team. Provides independent technical evaluation of PACS.

PAGB
Proprietary Association of Great Britain. This association represents represents manufacturers mainly producing OTC/P medicines.

Parallel import
A pharmaceutical product therapeutically equivalent to an existing licensed UK product and licensed in the UK in accordance with the rules of the parallel import scheme.

PASA
Purchasing and Supply Agency. This is an executive agency of the Department of Health that promotes value for money when purchasing goods and services.

PCT
Primary Care Trust.

PEAG
Pharmacovigilance Expert Advisory Group.

Person appointed
Independent assessor(s) appointed by the Licensing Authority to hear an appeal against a proposed licensing action.

PET
Positron emission tomography.

PET/CT
Positron emission tomography (PET) and computerized tomography (CT).

Pharmacopoeia
A compendium of standards for pharmaceutical or chemical substances.

Pharmacovigilance
A technical term used for identifying and responding to risk/benefit issues emerging for authorised medicines as used in clinical practice, and including the effective dissemination of such information to optimise the safe and effective use of medicines.

Ph. Eur.
A commonly used abbreviation for the European Pharmacopoeia.

PIC
Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention. An international organisation which mutually recognises inspection reports on manufacturers (excludes EC members).

PICS
Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme. The scheme's goal is to improve cooperation between regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical industry in the field of Good Manufacturing Practice.

PIEAG
Patient Information Expert Advisory Group.

PIL
Patient Information Leaflet. A leaflet authorised by the MHRA supplied by the manufacturer of a licensed medicine to the patient.

PIQ
Patient Information Quality. Part of VRMM Division dealing with labelling and leaflets for medicines. [Formerly: Patient Information Unit].

PIU
See: PIQ.

PL
Product Licence. See: MA [Marketing Authorisation].

PL(PI)
PL(PI) Product Licence (Parallel Import) See also Parallel Import.

PLR
Product Licence of Right. This is a licence granted to medicines already on the Market when the 1968 Medicines Act came into force. See also Committee on Review of Medicines.

PLUS
Product Licence User System. See: Sentinel. 

PMS
Post-Marketing Surveillance. This is adverse reaction monitoring for medicines already in the UK market.

POM
Prescription only medicines i.e. medicines available only on prescription from a doctor.

POM TO P
The means by which a Prescription Only Medicine can become a Pharmacy Medicine [i.e. available only from a pharmacist]. It is also known as "de-pomming."

PPI
Patient Pack Initiative.

PQ
Parliamentary Question - a question asked by an MP in the House of Commons or from a member of the House of Lords. This may be an oral question or one put down for a written answer.

PRRs
Proportioned Reporting Ratios.

PSURs
Periodic Safety Update reports. Once a medical product is registered in the EU, Periodic Safety Update Reports (PSUR) must be submitted. These provide an update of the worldwide safety experience of a medicinal product to Competent Authorities at defined time points post-authorisation. 

PV
Pharmacovigilance.