OBJECTIVES: The pain and discomfort associated with Herpes Zoster (HZ) and Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN) can have a substantial negative impact on patients’ Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). To inform the design of a large-scale prospective study of the patient-reported impact of HZ and PHN in the UK, a review of published prospective studies was conducted.  METHODS: A targeted literature review was conducted in MEDLINE® to identify prospective studies investigating the impact of HZ and PHN from the patient’s perspective. Searches were limited to studies published in English between April 2000 and April 2010. The adequacy of these studies in quantifying the burden of HZ and PHN was critically assessed.  RESULTS: Only a small number of published prospective studies (n=6) designed to investigate the impact of HZ or PHN from patients’ perspectives were identified; one of which was conducted in the UK. The HRQoL burden associated with HZ and PHN was highlighted in the studies reviewed albeit a number of key points were noted. First, the burden of HZ and PHN has not been compared to HRQoL estimates for the general population or to those with comparable acute or chronic conditions, thereby making interpretation difficult. Furthermore, studies conducted to date have not accounted for the variations in pain and HRQOL burden at different stages of HZ presentation. Finally, from the studies reviewed, the pain experienced by patients with HZ and PHN is managed with a wide variety of products. However, until now no formal assessment of patient satisfaction with these products has been conducted.  CONCLUSIONS: Although it is known that HZ and PHN can have a negative impact on HRQOL, limitations in previous research can be noted. In order to address these concerns, a large-scale UK-based prospective study is currently being conducted.