Program Overview

Program Details

The program in question is the course "Natural Remedies and Complementary Medicine" offered by Karolinska Institutet.

Course Overview

Course Code and Name

• Course code: 1QA140
• Course name: Natural Remedies and Complementary Medicine

Credits and Level

• Higher education credits: 7.5
• Form of education: University education, 2007 curriculum
• Main field: Other subjects
• Level: Basic level, the depth of the course cannot be classified

Grading Scale

• Grade scale: Fail (U) or pass (G)

Responsible Institution

• Department responsible for the course: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology

Decision-Making Body

• Decision-making body: Established by: Fyfa Education Board

Validity of the Course Plan

• The course plan is valid from: Spring semester 2026

Special Eligibility

To be eligible for the course, students must have:

• 90 credits in healthcare or pharmacy
• Swedish B/Swedish 3 and English A/English 6 with the lowest grade passed/E

Objectives

The overall objective of the course is for the student to be able to account for the most commonly used complementary medical methods, their research status, and regulatory status, and to professionally address the large proportion of patients who use or have questions about these methods. The student should also be able to describe and problematize the use of complementary medical methods from a national, international, and cultural perspective.

Content

The course focuses on the most commonly used forms of complementary medical methods in Sweden, such as herbal medicines, mindfulness, yoga, massage, and acupuncture, including mechanisms of action, clinical research, and legal aspects. Emphasis is also placed on knowledge of placebo and interactions between herbal medicines and other medicines.

Teaching Methods

The course includes:

• Lectures, both on-site and web-based
• Discussion forums via the learning platform
• Self-study
• Reflection (reflection)
• Quizzes
• Individual assignment with peer review
• Reading

Examination

The examination consists of a written individual assignment. A student who is not approved after the regular examination opportunity has the right to participate in up to five additional examination opportunities.

Transition Provisions

The course was given for the last time in the spring term of 2025. Examination according to this course plan will be possible until the spring term of 2027 for students who have not completed the course with a passing result.

Other Provisions

• Access to the internet and basic computer skills are required since a large part of the course is web-based.
• The course evaluation is conducted according to the guidelines established by the Board of Education.
• The language of instruction is Swedish, but teaching in English may occur.