Foreign pharmacists taking their first steps towards a Swedish license
Since its launch in 2017, the Complementary Programme for Pharmacists with a Foreign Degree is a key factor in the work to meet Sweden's need for new pharmacists. In September, the sixteenth group of students begin their journey to a Swedish pharmacist license. "Basically everyone will receive job offers before graduation," says Parvaneh Aghazari, National programme coordinator.
“I earned my Degree of Master of Science in Pharmacy in Chile and worked at the national Pharmaceutical Agency before moving to Sweden. Recently, I met a pharmacist with Turkish background who told me about a complementary programme for foreign pharmacists. Today I am enrolling at Uppsala University and hope to gain many valuable tools along my way to a Swedish pharmacist license and a future career in the pharmaceutical industry,” says Javiera Correa, 36-year-old pharmacist and resident of Stockholm
At Uppsala's Faculty of Pharmacy, the new academic year has just begun. Corridors and auditoriums are filled with future pharmaceutical experts. Many have only recently received their high school diplomas and for most newbies, a couple of weeks of introduction to university life awaits. But one group stands out a bit: They are slightly older, don't wear freshman prank plates and, above all, have already opened the course literature.
“A current study shows that Sweden has 60,000 immigrated university graduates whose competence is not used in the best way. In deficit professions, like pharmacists and prescriptionists, this is quite a challenge, and since 2017 we are offering an education where foreign pharmacists translate their knowledge to Swedish conditions. The result is in every aspect a success: Today, every third new Swedish pharmacist's license is granted to a pharmacist trained outside the EU, and basically all of our participants have job offers before graduation,” says Parvaneh Aghazari, teacher at Uppsala University and National programme coordinator.
A recently report from UKÄ confirms these results. Three years after completed education, eight out of ten participants have established themselves in the Swedish labor market. Of these, 93 percent work in a profession with a direct connection to the education. The alumni find employment in both private and public sectors, where they are important additions to the skills supply throughout Sweden. And these positive trends shows no sign of fading: In the Swedish Public Emplyment Service's forecast of strong future occupations, both pharmacist and prescriptionist are in the top tier.
“Among our Swedish pharmacy chains, there is a consensus that the Complementary Programme with its focus on language competence for academic studies, Swedish regulations and well-organized work placement is an effective path to both license and profession. As an employer, we are also confident that the university provides up-to-date knowledge, has good insight into the participants' needs and that they are receiving the same high quality supervision during their internship as other pharmacy students,” says Sara Ehrenfeldt, HR specialist at Apotek Hjärtat.
The Complementary Programme starts with a language semester where the participants develop their Swedish skills, an appreciated course that strengthens the ability to assimilate scientific literature and to communicate with future customers and colleagues. This is followed by an overview course covering the pharmaceutical sciences before focus is moved to communication and the role of pharmaceutical drugs within Swedish society and their importance for public health. In the third and final semester, the participants practice work at a pharmacy.
– Våra studenter är skickliga farmaceuter som längtar efter att bidra med sin expertis i samhället. Därför har vi handplockat innehåll ur våra programutbildningar och skräddarsytt en kursplan som implementerar deltagarnas kunskaper in i en svensk kontext. Då de ofta nått längre i livspusslet än våra svenska studenter erbjuder vi dessutom utbildningen till stor del på distans, tillgång till e-kurslitteratur och praktikplatser i hela Sverige. Som lärare kan vi till sist konstatera att det här är en otroligt motiverad och målmedveten grupp som förtjänar all framgång, säger Charlotta Heijkenskjöld och Viktoria Lind vid Farmaceutiska fakulteten.
En rad kursutvärderingar visar att både nuvarande och tidigare deltagare instämmer: ”Programmet är en utmärkt förberedelse för att utöva vårt yrke i Sverige” med ”Välstrukturerade kurser och nödvändiga kunskaper” och ”Engagerade lärare med stor erfarenhet” som med ”Utmärkta föreläsningar” och ”Professionella svar på frågor” är bara ett axplock ur de senaste terminernas många positiva omdömen.
– Jag deltog i den allra första omgången av Kompletteringsutbildningen och minns väl att den infriade alla mina förväntningar. Våra lärare var experter inom sina områden, äldre studenter hjälpte oss när det behövdes och vid min praktik på ett sjukhusapotek mötte jag dagligen kunder och medarbetare vilket gav mig ovärderliga kunskaper. Jag kommer aldrig att ångra mitt val att börja på utbildningen, säger Omar Hmeadi, idag docent vid Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet.
Facts
- Complementary Programme for pharmacists with a foreign degree (100 cr) is the program for you who have completed a foreign pharmacy training and want to work as a pharmacist in Sweden.
- At the programme you get updated knowledge in pharmaceutical science as well as knowledge and understanding of Swedish treatment traditions.
- To work as a pharmacist in Swedish healthcare, it is required that you have a Swedish pharmacist's license, which this education provides the basis for.
Contact
Parvaneh Aghazari, National programme coordinator
Department of Pharmacy
Parvaneh.Aghazari@farmaci.uu.se
Text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt