WMAS – Cardiff and Vale University Health Board centre
Opening times
Monday to Friday: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday: 9.00am – 12.45pm
Closed Sunday and Christmas Day
The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board medicines advice service co-ordinates the national roles of the Welsh Medicines Advice Service.
We provide the local enquiry answering service to healthcare professionals within Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan area. In addition, the Medicines Helpline supports patients and carers throughout Cardiff and Vale who have questions or concerns about their medicines.
We also provide professional support to the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board medicines access functions. This includes supporting the primary and secondary care process for new drugs and managing the local Inform medicines formulary. In turn this allows promotion of safe, rational and cost-effective prescribing within the local area.
Specialist services
WMAS Cardiff provide medicines advice to two national services:
Drugs in porphyria
Porphyria is an inherited condition which can prohibit the use of many medicines. WMAS advises on the use of medicines in porphyria. The medicines in porphyria service is available to all healthcare professionals and members of the public in the UK.
Complementary Medicines
The complementary medicines enquiry answering service is available to Medicines Advice pharmacists in the UK. Healthcare professionals who have complementary medicine related enquiries should contact their local Medicines Advice service in the first instance. Members of the public should contact NHS 111 Wales.
CAVUHB roles
The WMAS Cardiff team support the local health board in a variety of ways in addition to the enquiry answering service and medicines helpline.
Medicines Access
The medicines access roles supported by WMAS includes the provision of professional support for the health board’s INFORM prescribing formulary. We provide advice and support healthcare professionals wishing to access non-formulary medicines for patients including medicines that are unlicensed.
The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board list of Shared Care Protocols is held by WMAS.
The management of patients with some conditions can be complicated, and as a result it may not be possible for their care to be fully managed by their GP surgery team. In these situations, a system of Shared Care encompassing primary care and hospital outpatient care is appropriate.
Medicines Safety
The medicines safety team, led by the Medicines Safety Officer are based within WMAS.
Regular newsletters are shared across the health board to promote medicines safety and reduce the risks of prescribing, supplying and administering medicines.
WMAS supports YCC Wales to provide education and training on the Yellow Card Scheme. WMAS also helps maintain and develop the Yellow Card Champion Scheme.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is the operational name of CAVUHB
29 Mar 23
COVID vaccine allergy service details removed. Link to e-advice service added.
25 Feb 23
Published.
