All UK medicines legislation has been brought together in a single draft document published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

The 231-page document aims to simplify and clarify the laws around medicines that have built up and developed over the 40 years since the Medicines Act 1968.

The document includes most of the regulations and orders made under the Act, as well as changes introduced in the UK following European Union legislation. The MHRA is seeking comments about the work on its report so far. A formal consultation is due to take place early next year.

The agency is also pushing ahead with its review of medicines legislation as part of the initiative. It is scrutinising the existing laws and regulatory framework to see if there is a need for any major policy changes. The MHRA said that any new medicines legislation would be introduced in 2012 following further consultation.