Ulla Partanen has served as Head of Learning Services at the Pharmaceutical Information Centre since late 2020. During her first six months in the job, Ulla has been delighted by the enthusiastic approach to work at the Pharmaceutical Information Centre, as well as by its comprehensive network of experts. Ulla cooperates closely with both in-house and external experts.

“My job involves a large number of meetings with experts involved in the planning of training, and with instructors and learners. I’ve been able to delve deep into interesting topics, and have learned a lot. During our training events and other meetings, I’ve been greatly inspired by the views of leading experts on forthcoming changes and how to make a difference,” Ulla explains.

Nordic cooperation improves the availability of training in medicine and the biosciences

The networks of the Pharmaceutical Information Centre include pharmaceutical, healthcare and health technology professionals from Finland and abroad. The international aspect is particularly strong in the Nordic Nordplus cooperation started in 2019. Five organisations in medicine and the biosciences in Sweden, Finland and Norway have joined forces in the Nordplus cooperation project. Its goal is to improve the availability of training in these fields and promote development and innovation in medicine.

“The cooperation includes several training events, which enable effective information-sharing between the Nordic countries. The participants have studied interesting case stories from other countries. Although legislation and the operating environment vary between countries, many of the best practices learned during training can be applied across national boundaries.”

A changing world challenges us to learn

It’s important to maintain our knowledge and skills continuously in an increasingly digital and international world. Medicine and healthcare are developing in leaps and bounds, and the changing operating environment calls for new skills. We should therefore regularly develop our professional skills, anticipating future needs. Lifelong learning is here to stay, and it is one of the needs that the Pharmaceutical Information Centre, among other operators, seeks to address.

“The world is changing so rapidly that continuous learning is necessary. In the field of pharmacy, for example, the pharmacist qualifications provide good capabilities for working at a chemist. However, work in the pharmaceutical industry and health technology calls for a more multifaceted approach.”

A passion for learning

“We regularly collect ideas and feedback from our customers. We develop our offering based on the feedback in response to customers’ changing needs. The training we provide enables professionals to enter new areas of expertise or update their knowledge in connection with legislative changes, for example.”

Ulla has always been an enthusiastic learner. After graduating as a pharmacist, she studied sales and service design.

“I’m inspired by providing solutions for customers and creating something new. In this job, I can use my expertise in a varied way and offer our customers little breathers amidst their hectic schedules, as well as inspiration for developing their work,” Ulla says.

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