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FOPH: Federal Council plans direct counterproposal to the popular initiative «Yes to Medical Supply Security»

19 February 2025

FOPH: Federal Council plans direct counterproposal to the popular initiative «Yes to Medical Supply Security»

The Federal Council supports the objective of the popular initiative «Yes to Medical Supply Security», which aims to improve the supply of essential medicinal products. However, the Federal Council rejects the initiative, considering it insufficiently specific and effective. Instead, it intends to draft a direct counterproposal focusing on strengthening the supply of affordable medicinal products such as painkillers, vaccines, and antibiotics.

The initiative calls for enhanced access to medicinal products and medical supplies, with the federal government taking responsibility. It seeks to promote domestic production and ensure reliable supply chains. While the Federal Council agrees with the overall objective, it favours a targeted counterproposal that intervenes where market mechanisms alone fail, particularly in the case of high-demand medicinal products with expired patents.

Currently, healthcare and supply responsibilities lie primarily with the cantons and the private sector. The federal government may only intervene in cases of severe supply shortages or pandemics. The counterproposal aims to grant the federal government additional competencies to prevent shortages proactively and ensure long-term supply security.

For more information, see here.

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