Federal government wants to prevent shortages of medicines and vaccines
Shortages of various medicines and vaccines have occurred in Switzerland in some cases in recent years. The Federal Council is issuing a list of proposals to increase availability in the long term.
The security of supply of medicines in Switzerland is good, even if there have been isolated bottlenecks in recent years. This is the conclusion of a report by the Federal Council. To ensure supply, it has drawn up various recommendations for stockpiling, manufacturing, market access, pricing and remuneration.
The main reason for the bottlenecks, for example in cancer drugs or vaccines, is the increasing centralization in production and distribution: The number of manufacturing plants is decreasing, storage and distribution are being concentrated at a few locations, thus reducing decentralized supply structures.
In order to increase the availability of medicines in the long term, the Federal Council is proposing, among other things, expanded stockpiling at all levels - from manufacturers to hospitals to doctors. It is also being examined whether the industry should be obliged to keep particularly important medicines permanently in stock (compulsory stockpiling). The supply of certain niche products (e.g. special galenic forms and preparations), which may be manufactured without a marketing authorization, could be ensured by a network of public pharmacies, hospital pharmacies and the army pharmacy.
In order to facilitate market access, the Confederation recommends simplifying Switzerland-specific patient information requirements for certain medicinal products (e.g. vaccines) in order to speed up their importation. In addition, the approval of traditional medicinal products from the EU and EFTA area should be facilitated. Furthermore, manufacturing companies should be motivated by the federal government to transfer licenses to third parties if they withdraw their products from the Swiss market.
With the report, the Federal Council is responding to the Heim postulate (12.3426). The proposals complement existing measures, such as the reporting office for vital human medicines, which the Federal Office for National Economic Supply put into operation at the beginning of October. They will be integrated into the master plan to strengthen biomedical research and technology. Various recommendations will also be included in the implementing regulations for the revised Therapeutic Products Act.
(BAG)
