The Swedish Pharmaceutical Society is a non-profit organization for people engaged in the field of medicinal drugs. The aim of the Organization is to further developments in pharmaceutical research and to promote high, professional standards.

Albeit with its roots back in the 17th century the modern history of the Organization started in 1971, when all Swedish pharmacies were integrated into a national company with the State as the majority owner. Since then the activities of the Organization, now totally independent from the organization of the pharmacies, have been focused on scientific matters, education and publishing. The body of individual members, nearly 6000, is geographically divided into 11 regional divisions and 13 specialized scientific sections each governed by a committee, elected by its members.

14 specialized scientific sections covering the following subjects:

– Clinical Trials
– Community Pharmacy
– Drug Information
– History of Pharmacy
– Hospital Pharmacy
– Medical Technology
– Medicinal Chemistry
– Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis
– Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics
– Pharmacognosy
– Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism
– Quality Assurance
– Regulatory Affairs
– Veterinary Pharmacy

Post-graduate courses and Symposia
The organization is the leading national provider of continuing education and post-graduate courses. Regional activities, in collaboration with the various divisions are run in more than 40 locations throughout the country. Annually about 5000 participants attend the centrally organized activities, sharing about 150 days of tuition. The activities encompass a broad spectrum of subjects from generally oriented topics to more specific scientific oriented ones. More than 50 percent of the participants emanate from the pharmaceutical industry and an equal number comes from universities, hospitals and community pharmacies.
The Society cooperates on a number of courses with universities and other providers of education inside and outside of Sweden.
Also every year a number of international symposia and workshops are held.
To post-graduate courses and Symposia

Scholarships and grants
By awarding scholarships and grants the Organization provides support for pharmaceutical research and education. In the last years scholarships for more than SEK 5 000.000 have been awarded. Each year three scholarships are given for post doc studies at international centres all over the world. Since 1961 a particularly prominent and internationally renowned pharmaceutical scientist has been appointed as the Scheele Laureate in memory of the famous chemist and pharmacist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. The Scheele Laureate is awarded a prize sum of SEK 200.000, a medal and a diploma. A special Scheele Symposium is also organized in
connection with this event.

Some Scheele Award Laureates
1983 Professor Sir James W Black, Wellcome Research Labs, UK
1986 Professor Luc Montagnier, Institute of Pastuer, France
1991 Professor K Barry Sharpless, MIT, USA
2009 Professor Dennis J Slamon, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
2011 Professor Kathleen M Giacomini, University of California, San Fransisco, USA
2013 Professor Garret A FitzGerald, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
More about Scheele Award