On Wednesday 22 October, pharmacists, students and educators in the field will come together to launch a new Welsh Pharmacy Network.
The launch of the network has been funded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and organised by the universities of Swansea, Bangor and Cardiff to stimulate the use of the Welsh language in the workplace, as well as supporting and increasing Welsh-medium provision for students at university.
Professor Delyth James, leader of the Network who teaches at Swansea University's Department of Pharmacy, said,
"Coupled with the Welsh Government's Mwy na Geiriau strategy to increase health provision in Welsh, there is a need for more Pharmacists who are confident in communicating with patients in Welsh in the workplace.
"We have already started compiling a list of Welsh speaking Pharmacists which already extends to 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 safeguard 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 Welsh provision is funded by the Coleg Cymraeg. Today, Swansea and Bangor universities also offer students an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy.
The Coleg also supports the field of Pharmacy through its Health Workers of Tomorrow scheme which supports prospective Welsh-medium students to successfully apply to Pharmacy courses.
Dr Gwenllian Owen, the Coleg’s Senior Higher Education Manager, said,
"Health and care is one of the Coleg's strategic priority areas, reflecting the growing demand for a workforce that can work effectively in both Welsh and English.
"The Coleg is committed to strategic planning and to working closely with partners across the education sector and workforce, to ensure that Welsh language pathways are developed sustainably and effectively.
"As an organisation 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 will be invited to the launch of the Welsh Pharmacist Network at Morgans Hotel in Swansea from 17:30 – 20:00 on 22 October 2025.
The hybrid event is jointly organised by Swansea, Bangor and Cardiff universities, and is funded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol with support from Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (Wales).