Security of Medicine Supply: A Step in the Right Direction

In its strategy, the Federal Council proposes various measures to strengthen the security of supply with therapeutic products: package inserts should be replaced by QR codes, packaging that is not specifically produced for the Swiss market can be used, and approval procedures should be further simplified. This includes, for example, examining whether medicines approved and used for years in the EU could also be recognized in Switzerland to improve supply security. Furthermore, the expansion of international cooperation remains of central importance. These measures address several points highlighted by the initiative committee, to which pharmaSuisse belongs.

The pressure on the ground can be swiftly reduced. Drug shortages are a global phenomenon affecting all categories of medicines – especially those that are frequently used, inexpensive, and economically less profitable. Although they may not be fully resolved in the short term, their impact on the everyday supply can still be quickly mitigated.

Today, pharmacies spend a significant portion of their resources searching for alternatives, coordinating with prescribing doctors and suppliers, and processing prescriptions for unavailable medications. According to the latest report* from the PGEU, the average administrative effort related to shortages has doubled since 2019 – from 6.6 to 12 hours per week.

PharmaSuisse prioritizes the rapid relief from this – in addition to unremunerated – extra burden. The umbrella organization of pharmacists welcomes the introduction of a classification of all medicines into different categories according to their therapeutic benefit, in cooperation with healthcare stakeholders, particularly pharmacies, as well as active monitoring of the supply situation in Switzerland for medicines and medical products. This enables the federal government to take targeted measures, such as economic incentives, to improve the availability of certain medicines essential for supply.

One central issue remains open. While the federal government foresees regulatory improvements – such as easing for pharmacies in the production of medicines – a comprehensive revision of the list of medicines with tariffs (ALT) was not considered in the strategy. Yet, the production of medicines directly in the pharmacy, particularly in shortage situations, often represents the only available alternative. This issue is closely related to the recent closures of individual production plants.

In practice, pharmacists encounter significant challenges in the production of such alternatives as the ALT is outdated both in terms of content and tariffs. The tariffs, substance lists, and containers contained therein do not meet today's technical requirements or economic realities. Therefore, a revision of the ALT must be treated as a priority to ensure sustainable supply security.

The initiative committee, to which pharmaSuisse belongs, will analyze the counter-proposal and decide whether the popular initiative 'Yes to Medical Supply Security' will be maintained. It will constructively participate in the parliamentary process, focusing particularly on implementing the key concerns of the initiative.

*https://www.pgeu.eu/publications/pgeu- medicine-shortages-report-2025/

Contact:
Swiss Pharmacists' Association pharmaSuisse, Communications Department - Media Office
Phone: +41 31 978 58 27

Email: medien@pharmaSuisse.org

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: pharmaSuisse - Schweizerischer Apotheker Verband