Job summary
- Main area
- Welsh Medicines Advice Service
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Flexible working
- Home or remote working
- Compressed hours
- Job ref
- 001-PST025-0426
- Employer
- Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- University Hospital Of Wales
- Town
- Cardiff
- Salary
- £40,559 - £48,841 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 15/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Specialist Pharmacy Technician, Medicines Advice and Pharmacovigilance
NHS AfC: Band 6
WHO WE ARE:
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Board in the UK, employing over 16,000 staff and providing over 100 specialist services. Serving a population of around 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst also working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone and to delivering excellent care and support.
Our mission is “Living Well, Caring Well, Working Together”. We have recently refreshed our strategy, Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, which sets out the Health Board’s Vision for improving the health and wellbeing of the populations we serve by 2035 through the delivery of our strategic objectives; Putting People First, Providing Outstanding Quality, Delivering in the Right Places, and Acting for the Future. We have challenging times ahead, but we are confident that by tackling these challenges together, we can support people to live healthier lives and reduce the unfair differences in the prevalence of illness and health outcomes we see in our communities today. We aspire to deliver outstanding care and treatment for people when they need it, where they need it; care that compares well with the best in the world, but to do so, we need to transform how we deliver services over the next decade and beyond.
We are a values-driven organisation and out goals will only be realised if our values are at the heart of everything we do. Created by colleagues, patients and their families and carers, our values are:
· We are kind and caring
· We are respectful
· We have trust and integrity
· We take personal responsibility
OUR REGION:
Wales has much to offer with miles of stunning coastline, UNESCO world heritage sites and beautiful countryside. Cardiff, the thriving Welsh capital, has something for everyone. It is a fantastic city to live and work in with an abundance of sports, arts and cultural attractions. Situated to the west of Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan offers a combination of beautiful Welsh countryside and a dramatic natural coastline, as well as charming towns including Penarth and Cowbridge. Those seeking more culture may find themselves drawn to the National Museum, St Fagan’s Museum of Welsh Life or the Millennium Centre, home of the Welsh National Opera. Whether city life or rural living, Cardiff and the Vale offers the best of both worlds.
The Agenda for Change Pay Award for 2026/27 is effective from 1st April 2026.
Please note successful applicants with a start date from 1st April onwards the salary will be as per the 2026/27 pay award. For further detail the pay circular is available via this link https://www.nhs.wales/files/pc-resources/afc-w-02-2026-pdf-pdf?ts=1773244958086
Job overview
The Welsh Medicines Advice Service are looking for a qualified, experienced, Pharmacy Technician, who will work closely alongside a friendly team to support, prepare and provide the provision of specialist evidence-based Medicines Advice to healthcare professionals across Wales in Primary and Secondary care along with patients and carers and nationally as part of the UK Porphyria Medicines Information Service.
Deputise in the absence of the Medicines Advice Manager.
The post holder would Deputise in the absence of the Medicines Advice Manager and also lead on and support the schedule of Pharmacovigilance work alongside the Yellow Card Centre (YCC) for Wales which is a service commissioned by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
You will be expected to exercise a degree of autonomy as a key member of the Medicines Advice team delivering a range of Medicines Advice activities within their own competencies and scope of practice (after additional training and demonstration of ongoing competence to provide a safe and efficient service which meets the standards set by UK Medicines Information (UKMi).
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; both Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.
We would welcome informal visits or questions. Please see the vacancy contact information for further details.
Main duties of the job
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac.
The role supports the delivery of medicines advice to healthcare professionals across primary and secondary care in Wales, as well as to patients, carers, and the public within Cardiff and Vale UHB and those contacting UKPMIS. The post holder deputises for the Medicines Advice Manager, supports enquiry handling, and independently provides evidence‑based advice following completion of the UKMi Medicines Information and Advice Training Programme. Responsibilities include receiving, documenting and responding to enquiries, effective communication with patients and multidisciplinary teams, undertaking safe telephone assessments, and contributing to staff and student induction.
The role also has significant responsibility for the Yellow Card Wales programme. This includes delivering at least 15 educational sessions annually on adverse drug reactions, medication errors, pharmacovigilance and the Yellow Card scheme; supporting and expanding the medicines safety officer network; analysing and sharing Yellow Card data; identifying and addressing areas of low reporting; engaging community pharmacies and patient groups; maintaining the Yellow Card website; and promoting MHRA safety messages and electronic reporting platforms to improve pharmacovigilance and patient safety across Wales.
Working for our organisation
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 17,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services. Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving over 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone, delivering excellent care and support.
Our mission is “Living Well, Caring Well, Working Together”, and our vision is that every person’s chance of leading a healthy life should be equal. Our 10-year transformation and improvement strategy, Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, is our chance to work collaboratively with the public and our workforce to make our health board more sustainable for the future.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac.
Person specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Pharmacy Technician with current registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
Desirable criteria
- Member of a relevant Professional Association
- Accredited in either UKMi Accredited Medicines Information Technician Training Scheme (AMITTS) or the Medicines Information and Advice Training Programme (MIATP). Or willing to undertake.
- Knowledge of the therapeutic use of medicines
Expereince
Essential criteria
- Must be able to demonstrate a suitable level of post qualification experience.
- Able to demonstrate previous experience working in an acute Pharmacy with an understanding of how a hospital Pharmacy operates including dispensary and Medicines Management.
- Experience of working as a Pharmacy Technician in a patient facing role.
- Has a good understanding and knowledge of drugs with a proactive approach to the application of specialist pharmaceutical knowledge in order to enhance patient care.
Desirable criteria
- Experience in a broad range of Pharmacy services.
- Experience of delivering training
- Experience of completing projects or audits.
- Specialist knowledge of the analysis and use of quantitative data, critical appraisal and evidence-based medicine
- Experience in Literature searching and evaluation
- Experience or familiarity with research design, methodology, conduct and reporting
Skills and attributes
Essential criteria
- Excellent Microsoft 365 Office skills e.g. power automate
- Ability to communicate effectively either written or verbally or adapt communication style for a variety of service users.
- Able to prioritise, be adaptable and work accurately under pressure.
- Has good documentation skills.
- Has good analytical skills with demonstrable ability to analyse and synthesise highly complex technical data and information
- Report writing and editorial skills
- Ability to interrogate scientific literature databases
- Strong critical appraisal skills and evidence-based medicine
- Good utilisation of information resources
- Ability to establish effective internal and external working relationships with a range of professionals
- Ability to think and plan strategically and to exercise sound judgement when faced with conflicting pressures
- Able to concentrate for long periods of time.
Desirable criteria
- Ability to communicate in Welsh
- An understanding and responsive approach to patient needs.
- Project management to post graduate diploma level or equivalent experience.
- Teaching/mentoring experience
- Leadership skills
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Self-motivated
- Reliable approach to the needs of the service
- Logical approach to work
- Organised and methodical
- Enthusiastic approach to work
- Assertive
- Flexible approach to meet the needs of the service
- Ability to plan work effectively and efficiently and prioritise personal workload which may cover multiple projects at different stages of development
- Able to work independently and as part of a team
- Aware of own limitations
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of problem solving.
- Experience conducting literature searches with databases such as Medline, Embase and Cochrane
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
- Evidence of CPD
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Welsh language skills are desirable
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Oliver Cummings
- Job title
- Medicines Advice Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 02921 84 7491
- Additional information
We would welcome informal visits or questions.
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