Swedish Pharmacy Chain Pilots Paid Friendship Time to Combat Loneliness
Apotek Hjärtat in Kalmar launched a pilot scheme called 'friendcare' in April 2025, involving 11 participants who receive 15 minutes of paid friendship time per week during working hours, equivalent to an hour per month. The year-long trial allows participants to chat on the phone, text, or meet in person to strengthen existing friendships or form new ones, with each participant receiving 1,000 kronor to fund friendship activities.
All 4,000 employees at Apotek Hjärtat have access to online loneliness training connected to the scheme. CEO Monica Magnusson explained the project builds on a collaboration with the mental health charity Mind and aims to test whether providing short, ring-fenced time for social connection improves wellbeing and reduces loneliness.
Sweden's Public Health Agency released a national loneliness strategy in July 2025, with Health Minister Jakob Forssmed emphasizing the need for cross-sector collaboration between business, municipalities, researchers, and civil society. Forssmed indicated he is monitoring the project closely but did not promise government scale-up or tax incentives at this stage.
Apotek Hjärtat is part of the 'Together against involuntary loneliness' network, a Nordic alliance comprising about 20 brands including Ikea, Strawberry, and HSB. The network has seen interest from other firms that have also engaged in the online loneliness training.
Statistics highlight the importance of such initiatives: about 14% of Swedes feel lonely some or all of the time, according to recent data, with a 2024 Statistics Sweden report finding that 8% of people have no close friend. Loneliness is especially prevalent among those living in single-person households, with over 40% affected.
In a related development, a separate project launched in Piteå in December 2025 involves 20 businesses offering wellness grants for group cultural experiences to enhance wellbeing and social inclusion.
