World Pharmacist Day - Meet some of our pharmacist colleagues

World Pharmacist Day is celebrated every year on 25 September and this year’s theme is ‘meeting global healthcare needs’. There are many pharmacist roles across the Health Board and their expertise helps optimise medication use, prevent harmful drug interactions and improve patient outcomes — supporting the health and wellbeing of our communities.  

Meet some of our pharmacist working across the UHB: 

Andrew Li, Community Pharmacist and Pharmacy Manager 

I’ve worked as a Community Pharmacist and now Pharmacy Manager for 19 years, supporting and working across three community pharmacies. I enjoy seeing my regular patients who I have gotten to know over the many years I have worked in Cardiff, it's nice to know they continue to revisit their regular local pharmacist. 

An average day can be very varied. As well as the checking prescriptions, I provide a lot of over-the-counter advice and deliver NHS and private services including the Common Ailments Service, emergency contraception and seasonal flu jabs. 

Many people aren’t aware of how many services a standard community pharmacy has to offer. I'm qualified Pharmacist Independent Prescriber (PIP) which means I able to prescribe certain medications within my scope of practice for multiple ailments which historically would have involved making GP appointment.  

I love that the role of a Community Pharmacist is always changing and evolving. I have been lucky to be involved in various initiatives over the years such as off-site vaccination clinics and the role is always looking to adapt to the current landscape and do its part to support the NHS.  

Simon Wilkins, GP Practice Pharmacist  

I'm a Prescribing Pharmacist at a GP practice in Cardiff, where I have worked for two years. I have a special interest in cardiology and an MSc in pain management, and I'm further developing my practice in the fields of women’s health and diabetes. Day-to-day, my role is busy and varied. I carry out general medication reviews for patients with chronic illness and specialist reviews of patients with conditions within my scope of practice. I also investigate, diagnose and treat certain conditions such as hypertension and atrial fibrillation.   

I also manage initiating, monitoring and titrating new medications that may have been recommended by secondary care and answer medication-related queries patients and the wider practice team may have. I'm also an Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and spend my non-practice days teaching and training undergraduate pharmacists, foundation pharmacists and Pharmacist Independent Prescribers.   

I really like the variety of patients and medical conditions I see in general practice and working with people in a face-to-face role. Being embedded within the multidisciplinary primary care team allows me to use my skills alongside those of other HCPs for the benefit of the patients we treat. 

Marian Jones, Prehabilitation Pharmacist for Cardiff South West Cluster 

After working in secondary care and community settings, I chose to transition to primary care to focus on prehabilitation and my Pharmacist Independent Prescriber qualification allows me to work autonomously. 

My role is to optimise patients' health at the point of suspicion of cancer and before major medical interventions, such as surgery. I conduct comprehensive medication reviews to ensure all prescribed drugs are appropriate and to address any adherence issues. Additionally, I focus on health optimisation by performing key screening checks including blood pressure monitoring, glucose control, anaemia screening and lipid profiling to assess health risks and optimise medication therapy.  

A typical day involves managing virtual clinics and supporting the continuous development of the service. Although our current focus is on patients with suspected cancer, the core principles of prehabilitation such as medication management, health screening, and lifestyle interventions are adaptable and can enhance outcomes across various surgical disciplines.  

Many people are not aware that pharmacists can work virtually, a practice that has become increasingly common. Virtual pharmacy services allow pharmacists to provide essential care and support remotely, making healthcare more accessible and convenient. 

Tom Wyllie, Specialist Pharmacist in Neonatology and Metabolic Disease 

I lead the pharmacy team on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and I'm the Paediatric Pharmacist for the All Wales Inherited Metabolic Disease Service. I’ve worked with Cardiff and Vale UHB for 14 years across community pharmacy and secondary care, but I particularly enjoy the ability to specialise into a complex and challenging area. 

I attend the neonatal intensive care ward round each day with doctors, nurses and advanced neonatal nurse practitioners to advise on dosing and monitoring the medicines we use in these complex patients. During ward rounds, we also decide on formulations for the parenteral nutrition (intravenous feeding) for individual neonates and then I put through the orders for these to be specially made in our sterile manufacturing unit. 

I also give advice to the metabolic team regarding medicines and help support teams from across Wales to enable the supply of rare metabolic drugs both in primary and secondary care. 

Pharmacists are not just counting tablets all the time! Pharmacists are experts in medicines, and we aim to make medicines safer and more accessible for all the different specialities in secondary care.  

Alex Speakman, Parenteral Nutrition Pharmacist  

I work at the University Hospital of Wales and St Mary’s Pharmaceutical Unit and specialise in intravenous nutrition and have recently been appointed to a new consultant pharmacist post in intestinal failure and parenteral support.  

I review inpatients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) and manage patients with intestinal failure living in the community receiving PN at home. This can involve adjusting all aspects of their PN prescription and prescribing supportive care medications. I have now also taken on more of a strategic role, for example writing national guidance and improving service delivery. 

Working in intestinal failure is an area where pharmacists can have a significant impact. Often patients with intestinal failure have no oral access or a short bowel that does not absorb oral medications adequately, so you need to draw on your knowledge to consider alternative solutions to ensure patients are getting the benefit from their medicines. 

Sarah Mansfield, Senior Technician in Clinical Trials 

I'm a Senior Technician at St Mary’s Pharmaceutical Unit and my role involves setting up new hosted aseptic trials, the day-to-day running of existing trials and supporting the introduction of new services like our Advance Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) service. 

A normal day can range from preparing IV chemotherapy, clinical trial products and ATMPs to working with sponsors and multidisciplinary teams to set up new hosted clinical trials that require aseptic preparation. I really enjoyed the technical aspects of pharmaceutical manufacture and preparation – I appreciate being hands on and making something from start to finish. 

Before joining SMPU as a pharmacy assistant I had no idea pharmacy aseptic services even existed! I really had my eyes opened when I joined and learned about the incredibly specialist work that goes on in technical services. 

Rhydian Phillips, Quality Assurance Pharmacist 

I work at St Mary’s Pharmaceutical Unit I help to ensure the medicines we manufacture and prepare for patient within the Health Board and across the UK are safe and effective and comply with Good Manufacturing Practice regulatory guidelines.  

 My daily role is variable, but will involve a combination of product release, personnel training and verification and developing and evaluating new products and manufacturing methods. I'm grateful for being able to help the most vulnerable patients on a day-to-day basis by ensuring they receive their medication. 

There are many hidden services within the NHS which ensure patient receive high quality care, one aspect of this is pharmacy quality assurance. We keep patients safe by controlling and monitoring the products we make to ensure patients receive safe and effective medicines.

Mari Lea-Davies, Lead Cystic Fibrosis Pharmacist  

I work within a team that looks after people with Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition that results in a build-up of mucus in the lungs, digestive system and other organs. 

I help people get the most out of their medicines. My role involves caring for people with Cystic Fibrosis when they are in hospital, when they come to outpatient appointments and when they are at home.  I do this by answering questions people have about how to take their medicines, helping people obtain supplies of their medicines, and enabling them to find a medication routine that fits in with their daily lives. 

Building relationships with the people we look after is what I enjoy the most. As Cystic Fibrosis is a lifelong condition, I'm able to get to know the people we care for over many years.