Apotek: A Swedish Perspective

by Ashley Builta, Pharm.D., fellow of association management and business development

I am definitely a self-confessed nerd when it comes to my profession. While I know I’m not alone in this, it sometimes leads to shall we say “trying” social situations. My curiosity about the history of pharmacy has probably alienated more people than I care to recall when I start to spout various pharmacy facts. I’ve learned to taper these sorts of conversations down considerably, but my “pharmacy nerd” pops up from time to time.

Knowing my weakness, I just can’t resist the opportunity to see how pharmacy is practiced elsewhere in the world and the pharmacy history contained there. I had the good fortune to take my “graduation from pharmacy school” vacation to visit family in Sweden. While none of them are remotely in the medical field, they thankfully agreed to go along with me in my adventures to find the apotek (pharmacy) in the area.

The Old:

While in Stockholm, I was lucky to find one particularly well-preserved old pharmacy. Walking in, the doors were well-worn and blackened on the outer edge by hundreds of years of patients passing through them. The waiting area had multiple mortar and pestles around. Sadly, one was being used as a trashcan, but then again, I can’t think of a current use for what looked like a 10-gallon stone mortar. A slightly smaller set was on display upon a pedestal so I, of course, immediately went to it in an attempt to demonstrate my skills to my family. Let’s just say my attempts to maneuver the considerably heavy pestle resulted in few good pictures and a deeper appreciation for modern-day compounding.

It was a huge mortar and pestle! I can’t imagine actually trying to make something with it. Behind me is the sign that lists all the owners of the pharmacy since 1674.

The main prescription area of this pharmacy was preserved so that it resembled how it looked in the 1700s. I was so fascinated by all the old jars and labels that I had to be dragged out of the pharmacy so we would make it to dinner on time.

I still don’t know the meaning of the bird. The pharmacist never came over to us, so I didn’t get the chance to ask.

Of course, you can’t visit Stockholm without a trip to the Nobel museum! I made a beeline straight for the medicine display. The hydrocortisone cream box in the case is spelled “hydrokortison kräm” and it’s a box of “aspirine” if you’re wondering.

The New:

Everything else about the pharmacies I entered throughout my trip was surprisingly similar to pharmacies in the United States. While pharmacies certainly aren’t as frequently encountered as they are here, they do occur regularly around the blocks. I observed what appeared to be three major chains of pharmacies, and only one independent in the areas where I stayed. The pharmacies had basically the same layout as most here. One major difference was in the product selection. There were no aisles of candy, cards, soda or other non-health care articles in sight. If the pharmacy was large enough, there might be aisles of personal care products, a small section for makeup and other items you might have forgotten to grab elsewhere, but nowhere near the amount of things that are packed into U.S. pharmacies. The shelves were clean, neat and all illuminated well. The physical space out front was much smaller in many of the pharmacies, especially those in old buildings, but this allowed for easy conversation with the pharmacy staff behind the counter.

A Swedish pharmacy connected to a grocery store.

Perhaps the most surprising thing for me was the mini-medication area immediately above the conveyer belt in the grocery store. My last day in Sweden, I was loading up on Swedish candy in a local grocery store when I looked up to see this display!

My pharmacy nerd was now unstoppable. I found myself studying every box and tube to figure out what everything contained. What could they buy right there at check-out that we only dispensed with a prescription? What dosage forms were available? What was the brand name? I’m pretty sure everyone behind me was quite annoyed with just how long my curiosity was taking, but I had to know!

I visited many more museums while I was in Sweden that contained pharmacy-related history. I would write more about them, but then you wouldn’t have anything to ask me about the next time you see me. Just be forewarned, my inner pharmacy nerd will be happy that you asked!

What have you found most interesting about pharmacy in other countries? Do you have any good international pharmacy adventures or any pictures you’d like to share with us? Leave a comment below!