Uppsala broadens eligibility: More students can become prescriptionists

Starting in the autumn semester of 2026, Uppsala University expands the eligibility to apply to the Bachelor of Science Programme in Pharmacy, thereby also welcoming students from a wider range of high school educations, including the Social Science programme. With this update, the university's Faculty of Pharmacy aims to help more students become certified prescriptionists and meet healthcare's increasing need for skilled employees.

“The program has long struggled with low completion rates, and today few students graduate on schedule. A major challenge is to attract applicants that both want to work as prescriptionists and have the capacity to pass the exams. By broadening the eligibility beyond the Natural Science programme, we want to reach more highly motivated students with the potential to excel,” says Programme Chair Fredrik Jernerén.

From 2026, the current requirements in advanced Chemistry, Biology, and Physics will be replaced by a single prerequisite in Natural Science B. The mathematics requirement will in turn be adjusted from Mathematics 4 to Mathematics 2. This makes the program accessible to both pharmacy technician students and career changers who do not wish to complete a full preparatory year of natural sciences.

“We often experience that our students’ knowledge does not match what ought to be expected after graduating from the High school Natural Science programme. Our teachers are therefore forced to spend valuable time on unplanned repetitions. Now, we are acting on this and will 2026 formally integrate this moment into both curriculum and teaching, which will benefit both our current and future students,” says Program Coordinator Emma Lundkvist.

Today, few applicants to the Bachelor of Science Programme in Pharmacy achieve a merit score of 17.5 or above — a strong predictor of academic success. By expanding the eligibility, the Faculty of Pharmacy wants to attract more students with good prospects to complete their studies and become dedicated prescriptionists, ultimately also raising the program’s status in general.

“Studies show that low merit points requirements tend to reduce a program’s prestige, and sometimes create the impression that studies are easier. That is of course not the case, and our examination objectives will remain intact. Still, we hear concerns that this might lead to less knowledgeable prescriptionists, but both we and the industry representatives we are in dialogue with are completely confident that this step is overall positive for the profession,” state Fredrik Jernerén and Emma Lundkvist.

At the Faculty of Pharmacy, the initiative is greeted by both teachers and the Disciplinary Domain Board. Many emphasize that the upcoming changes are necessary regardless of eligibility, and the other Swedish universities that offer the Bachelor of Science Programme in Pharmacy are following the development at Uppsala Biomedical Center with great interest.

“We expect to give our current students better conditions to achieve their degree goals right from the start. Looking at it from a five-year perspective, our goal is to attract two applicants for every seat, with the majority choosing us as their first option. At the start of every semester, we aim to fill every seat with highly motivated students and with efficient progression prepare them to shoulder key positions in creating a healthier world.”

text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt, Ida Renström