Welsh pharmacy network launched to increase use of Welsh language

A new Welsh pharmacy network had been launched in a bid to increase the use of the Welsh language.

On Wednesday 22 October, pharmacists, students and educators in the field came together for the establishment of the first pharmacy network of its kind.

The launch has been funded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and organised by the universities of Swansea, Bangor and Cardiff.

Confident

The partnership hopes to stimulate the use of the Welsh language in the workplace, as well as supporting and increasing Welsh-medium provision for students at the universities.

Professor Delyth James, leader of the Network who teaches in Swansea University’s Pharmacy department, said: “In conjunction with the Welsh Government’s ‘More than Words’ strategy to increase health provision in Welsh, we need more pharmacists who confidently communicate with patients in Welsh in the workplace.

“We have already started to collect a list of Welsh speaking Pharmacists which already reaches over 200 individuals across the seven Health Board areas in Wales.

“Therefore, we intend to develop a network of Welsh-speaking Pharmacists across Wales in order to build a strategic foundation to protect our ability to maintain Welsh language provision across the undergraduate education of Pharmacists studying in Wales.”

Until 2021, there was only one School of Pharmacy (Cardiff University) in Wales and the Coleg Cymraeg supporting that provision.

Nowadays Swansea and Bangor universities also offer an undergraduate Pharmacy degree to students.

Support

The college also supports the field of pharmacy through its ‘Health Workers Tomorrow’ scheme which supports potential Welsh-medium students to successfully apply for pharmacy courses.

Dr Gwenllian Owen, Senior Manager of Higher Education at the College, said: “Health and care is one of the strategic priority areas for the College, reflecting the growing demand for a workforce that can work effectively in Welsh and English.

“The College is committed to strategic planning and to working closely with partners across the education sector and the workforce, in order to ensure that Welsh language pathways are developed sustainably and effectively.

“As an organization we are proud to contribute to the development of this network and see this work as a key part of our mission to strengthen Welsh language provision across priority sectors.”

Pharmacists, students and lecturers across Wales were invited to the launch of the Welsh Pharmacists Network at Morgans Hotel in Swansea last week.

The hybrid event was organized jointly between the universities of Swansea, Bangor and Cardiff, and was funded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol with support from Education and Health Improvement Wales (HIHW) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (Wales).