Blog: Paving the way in Wales: an advanced Parkinson's pharmacist's story

It’s exciting but daunting to know that I’m doing the only role of its kind in Wales. I feel a huge responsibility to get this opportunity right but also I’m hopeful that it could encourage other Health Boards to follow our lead.

You hear a lot about specialist pharmacists for conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, but not for Parkinson’s. And that’s quite unusual considering that medication is such a key part of managing Parkinson’s symptoms. I tell anyone who will listen about the difference it makes for those living with the condition to take the right medication on time and how devastating it can be if this isn’t managed correctly.

Shaping the service

The biggest challenge currently is determining where my time is best spent. Given the job is new, there’s nothing really to benchmark it against. One thing we've started doing is offering an inpatient review service, which is quite unique for a pharmacist. I carry a bleep phone and get called to go and visit Parkinson’s patients on the wards. It’s innovative for a pharmacist to be involved in this way and most of the time it’s reviewing medications and providing the reassurance that ward staff and patients are looking for.

At times, if I can see that a patient is really struggling and they need more than just a simple change to their medication, I will make them known to a consultant and ensure they receive a timely clinical assessment. It also bridges the gap between inpatient and outpatient care, to provide continuity and a chance to follow up with the patient once they've been discharged home. Effective medicines management on the wards also enables people with Parkinson’s to engage more effectively in other forms of treatment, for example physiotherapy.

Another big part of the role will be to get self-administration of medicines off the ground. This means having a policy in place across the health board which enables patients with Parkinson's to administer their own medicine when in hospital, as long as it is safe and appropriate for them to do so. This will help with ensuring they take their medication on time and puts the patient in control. There’s a lot of work to be done in this area, we need to ensure medicines are stored properly, locked away to prevent access by anyone else and we need to find a way to know for certain that a patient has taken their medication. We also need to make sure that appropriate steps are in place to ensure patients are able to take their own medication safely. This means linking in with general ward staff and speech and language therapists to ensure swallowing assessments are carried out.

Leading the Excellence Network in South Wales

Since January 2023, I’ve also taken on a voluntary role as the regional lead for the South Wales Regional Excellence Network. In the role, I get to meet up with other regional leads across the UK to hear about the latest developments in Parkinson’s services. I also act as a spokesperson for Parkinson’s services across South Wales. I work closely with Parkinson’s UK staff to ensure that NHS professionals who work in Parkinson’s services, or with an interest in Parkinson's, across South Wales feel part of a vibrant and exciting network of colleagues determined to make improvements.

We're holding our next Wales-wide Excellence Network meeting in Cardiff on 14 November 2025, and I know everyone will get a lot out of the event.

Made possible by pump-priming

I’m excited for what’s ahead and to make an impact for everyone involved with the care of people with Parkinson’s in the area. From a patient point of view, having someone who understands their condition is crucial, an advocate and voice for them whether they’re an outpatient or an inpatient. From a health board perspective, I’m interested to see whether I can execute my role in such a way that we can reduce the length of hospital stays for people with Parkinson’s, getting people back home as soon as possible, where they can manage their condition most independently. I’m keen to see whether, in doing so, we can make cost savings and keep people out of hospital as much as possible. Can we get self administration sorted to improve the patient experience? And can we develop a comprehensive alert system for people with Parkinson’s coming into hospital as inpatients so we can monitor their treatment and care during their stay?

Without the pump-priming and funding support from Parkinson’s UK, I don’t think I would be in this role. Health boards across Wales are stretched and the financial environment means it’s really difficult for them to invest in new, innovative roles. Hopefully, the data over time will show the positive impact having an advanced Parkinson’s pharmacist can bring, demonstrating money well spent, a role the health board considers indispensable, and ultimately, an improved service for people with Parkinson’s.