The reclassification of certain medicinal products as part of the revision of the Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) has led to additional costs of up to CHF 24.5 million per year in the healthcare system since 2019. This is four times less than the CHF 100 million forecast by the pharmaceutical industry. These estimates are the result of a report in response to a motion by the National Council’s Committee for Social Security and Health (Kommission für soziale Sicherheit und Gesundheit des Nationalrates), which the Federal Council took note of at its meeting on 26 February 2025. In order to limit the impact of this reallocation on healthcare costs, the Federal Council has decided to implement targeted optimisation measures.

The additional costs of CHF 24.5 million are due, among other things, to the fact that patients visit their doctors more often to obtain prescriptions, which is not always necessary. Another reason is the increase of the price of medicines due to the adjustment of the distribution share, which varies depending on the category of the medicinal product. However, these additional costs are much lower than the CHF 80 to 100 million estimated by the pharmaceutical industry during the parliamentary debate.

In order to limit the effects of this reallocation, the Federal Council intends to take optimisation measures. These measures include raising awareness among pharmacists: they will be encouraged to make use of their competence to dispense non-prescription medicines and thus avoid unnecessary medical consultations. Another proposed measure is to adapt the labels on the packaging to include that the medication is available without a prescription. In addition, the requirements for documenting decisions to dispense medicines that have been reclassified from category C to B will be standardised to reduce the burden on pharmacies.

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