The prescription of medicines is one of the most common acts performed by physicians. Yet, several studies have shown that junior doctors are not well prepared for the task. The teaching of basic and clinical pharmacology varies greatly between universities, both within Sweden and in Europe. National prescribing exams have been introduced in the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium, and there is an on-going project to develop a European exam, focusing on a list of essential medicines and patient safety. With the new six year curriculum for medical education in Sweden, the license to prescribe could be linked to a national prescribing exam, to ensure good knowledge of both therapeutics and Swedish drug regulation.
Flera studier pekar på att nyfärdiga läkare, både i Sverige och i övriga Europa, har bristande läkemedelskunskaper.
Initiativ pågår för att ta fram en europeisk förskrivarexamen.
En nationell läkemedelsexamen som villkor för fri förskrivningsrätt skulle stödja läkemedelslärandet hos läkare utbildade både i Sverige och i andra länder.