About Us
We are the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) and our role is to protect and enhance public and animal health by regulating medicines, medical devices and other health products. It is also our role to monitor the safety of cosmetics.
We are a state agency that puts the health of people and animals at the core of everything we do. We use our scientific and clinical expertise to review and monitor health products available in Ireland or exported abroad. Our aim is to make sure that health products we regulate are as safe as possible and do what they are intended to do.
Formerly known as Irish Medicines Board (IMB), we became the HPRA in July 2014. Our new name better reflects our broader remit and regulatory functions which have expanded over a number of years to include:
- Human medicines
- Veterinary medicines
- Clinical trials
- Medical devices
- Controlled drugs
- Blood and blood components
- Tissues and cells
- Cosmetic products
- The protection of animals used for scientific purposes
- Organs intended for transplantation
The HPRA functions matrix outlines all of our key functions for each of the products / areas we regulate.