Seite wählen

Pharmacists in Switzerland are allowed to dispense prescription drugs under certain conditions, even if it is not an emergency. There is a specific list of indications with known active ingredients that has been drawn up by the Federal Department of Home Affairs, or EDI, and has now been expanded.

Since July 1, 2021, certain analgesics and migraine preparations now also belong to this list, which since the beginning of 2019 includes certain „remedies“, in Switzerland drugs and medical devices. The indications, are broad and are in the dispensing category B, which in turn is divided into three groups:

Medicinal products with active ingredients for frequently occurring diseases, which have been approved for several years.
Continuous medication drugs that serve primarily for the treatment of chronically ill patients for a period of one year according to a doctor’s prescription.
Medicinal products that were in category C before January 1, 2019, following revision of the Therapeutic Products Act. This was dissolved; the preparations were then split into a lower category D for non-Rx drugs with specialist advice, and the prescription B category, which is what we are concerned with here.
These drugs have abuse potential or, for example, serious side effects and interactions. They may therefore only be dispensed after a personal explanatory discussion between pharmacist and patient. The pharmacist may dispense the drugs without a prescription, but is subject to strict requirements and restrictions with documentation obligations. The customer also pays for the drugs himself. These Rx drugs dispensed directly at the pharmacy are not an insurance benefit.

However, the list of indications has not only been expanded to include ibuprofen 600 mg and other migraine acute medications. 42 indications with over 200 active ingredients are included in the extended list. The whole thing was also approved by the EDI. For acute pain conditions, all preparations may only be dispensed to adults. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) is closely monitoring the dispensing quantities for patient safety in a study project until 2025.

Source: www.deutsche-apotheker-zeitung.de