Can you trust the records on MHRA GMDP ?

When it comes to supplier and customer qualification, my mantra as an MHRA Inspector and now as a consultant is that you should look to MHRA GMDP and the MHRA Wholesale Dealer Register as the single point of truth when considering who to trade with.

In an idle moment I wondered if that remains good advice and so I started poking around the records.

So, can we rely on the information in MHRA records to be correct?

In short no we can’t.

With not much searching I found examples of incorrect and out of date records.

(Method – go to the last pages MHRAGMDP WDA and see how many WDAs haven’t been varied since 2013, 2014 and then cross check on Companies House).

UK WDA(H) 41951 IMAGECRAFT LIMITED

This company was dissolved in January 2023 https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/01605848

UK WDA(H) 35217 PALMER & HARVEY (HOLDINGS) PLC

The group went insolvent in 2017 https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06470058

UK WDA(H) 43418 JBM HEALTH LIMITED

The company changed their name to Medrose Ltd in 2015 https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08069378

Now MHRA have never claimed that their records are 100% accurate and up to date, but these companies are supposed to be paying annual fees. Why if they haven’t paid are they not investigated and records updated? 

Why does this matter? Well it is a known tactic for criminals to take over WDAs that are live on the MHRA database but don’t actually exist anymore, or details are wrong and create profiles to obtain medicines.

What does this mean for RPs trying to qualify new suppliers and customers?

Be highly sceptical of all records! As an RP you need to be forensic in the checks you make and cross check all available evidence before approving any customer or supplier.

Edit to add the older API registrations are also out of date and need review.