Statutory continuing education in healthcare in focus at Almedalen Week

How is Sweden to ensure that healthcare employees have the up to date skills required to guarantee patient safety? At Almedalen Week 2025, Uppsala University's Faculties of Pharmacy and Medicine will highlight the conclusions and recommendations presented in the investigation that - on behalf of the government – has mapped, among many things, the need for continuing education in healthcare.

“The investigation that was presented in early June contains much of importance for both prescriptionists and pharmacists. This includes the proposal for both the statutory right to but also the obligation to participate in continuing education for all healthcare employees. Also of interest is the recommendation for a Healthcare Professional Lift where the state will purchase further education in the form of commissioned education from Sweden’s universities,” says Anja Sandström, Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Pharmacy.

The investigation also notes a relatively low throughput of students at the Bachelor and Master of Science Programmes in Pharmacy, as well as some transfers from Bachelor to Master Programme - observations that raise the question whether both Programmes should be one education with a clear progression towards pharmacist. Uppsala University has instead chosen to make the prescriptionist role more unique with a distinct focus on the use of drugs, which is of further relevance as the university, starting in the fall term of 2026, expands the eligibility for the Bachelor of Science Programme in Pharmacy to also include degrees from, among other, the upper secondary school's Social Sciences program.

”Here, the investigation merely suggests that universities, pharmacies, Regions and industry should jointly reflect on our intentions with the pharmacist and prescription professions. Should we, for example, concentrate on working with breadth or define more distinct lines between work on the development and the use of drugs respectively, which could in turn answer whether we ought to provide opportunities for further education or primarily focus on continuing education,” Anja Sandström resons.

Participating in the Almedalen seminar are, among others, Pernilla Åsenlöf, Professor of Physiotherapy at Uppsala University, and Marianne van Rooijen, Director at the Uppsala University Hospital. On behalf of the Swedish Society of Medicine, chair Catharina Ihre Lundgren will join, with politics being represented by Lina Nordquist, member of parliament (L) and the Social Affairs Committee with a pharmacist's degree from the Faculty of Pharmacy.

”Investigator Harriet Wallberg will also participate to tell us more about the proposals presented in the investigation. Overall, we assemble a very knowledgeable panel, and I really hope that both healthcare employees and policy makers will find their way to the seminar, which will offer many valuable perspectives,” says Anja Sandström.

Text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt a o