Generic drugs in Switzerland cost twice as much as in Europe
Generic medications were twice more expensive in Switzerland than in other European countries in 2017.
Keystone
The price of generic drugs in Switzerland in 2017 was double that in nine other European countries, says a study published on Thursday. Patented drugs were 9% more expensive.
The studyExternal link examined the manufacturing prices of 250 best-selling patent-protected and generic medications. It was conducted for the ninth time by the association of research-based pharmaceutical companies InterpharmaExternal link and the Swiss health insurance association santésuisseExternal link.
The director of santésuisse, Verena Nold, said Switzerland “could save several hundred million francs on generic drugs alone”. She called for a “new pricing system” more closely adjusted to the drug prices abroad.
Santésuisse suggested a series of measures to bring prices down, including a reference price system, faster approval of generic drugs and removing market entry barriers to promote competition within the industry.
The price difference of patented drugs decreased slightly in 2017, down from 14% the previous year. The reasons for the drop were exchange rate fluctuations as well as last year’s price review, which reduced the price of over 400 drugs in Switzerland.
Original drugs whose patent had expired were 17% more expensive than in the other European countries, compared with a 20% mark-up in 2016, according to the survey.
The comparison countries were Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Britain, the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden.
More
More
Swiss bend rules to provide patients with affordable treatment
This content was published on
Despite being a global hub for pharma companies, Switzerland is going to extraordinary lengths to source cheap generic drugs for Hepatitis C patients.
Swiss institute hosted informal talks between Russians, Ukrainians and Americans
This content was published on
The Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) has hosted 10 meetings between Russian and Ukrainian interlocutors since the start of the war.
Automated driving on Swiss motorways is theoretically possible from March
This content was published on
It will be theoretically possible to hand over the steering wheel to technology but no such system has been submitted for official approval yet.
Heated atmosphere at Swiss rally against AfD politician Alice Weidel
This content was published on
Around 250 people demonstrated "against the right" and the German AfD politician Alice Weidel on Saturday afternoon in Einsiedeln.
This content was published on
The Ethos Foundation recommends that shareholders vote against all compensation-related items at the Annual General Meeting on March 7.
Top Swiss firms close to reaching gender quota in boards
This content was published on
The proportion of women on the boards of directors of the fifty largest listed companies in Switzerland currently stands at 28%.
Lawsuits, drug coverage and antibiotics in the US and Switzerland
This content was published on
Our healthcare series on US and Switzerland comes to a close as we tackle some remaining issues including antibiotics and alternative medicine.
Most Swiss back cantonal health insurance proposal
This content was published on
Two out of three Swiss residents would be in favour of a single basic health insurance scheme run by each canton, a new poll shows.
This content was published on
Interior Minister Alain Berset says he is willing to consider the introduction of a global budget for Switzerland’s healthcare system as part of efforts to reduce rising health costs.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.