At its meeting of 2 September 2026, the Federal Council confirmed its intention to retain a voluntary regime for the safety features that may be affixed to medicinal product packaging to prevent falsified medicinal products from entering the legal supply chain. Accordingly, it proposed that Motion Ettlin (22.3859), which called for such features to be made mandatory, be written off on this respect.

These features comprise an individual identifier in the form of a 2D data matrix code, resembling a QR code, which enables each pack to be uniquely identified, as well as safety devices such as adhesive seals that indicate whether a pack has already been opened or tampered with.

Unlike in the EU, the Federal Act on Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (Therapeutic Products Act, TPA) does not make the affixing and verification of such features mandatory, as no falsified medicinal products intended for the Swiss market have so far been detected in the legal distribution channel; falsified medicines are chiefly distributed outside official channels. Having examined a mandatory regime and submitted the corresponding ordinance for consultation, the Federal Council found that most stakeholders were critical or opposed of such a regime, citing additional administrative burden, higher costs, and potential risks to security of supply. A mandatory regime may be reconsidered at a later stage should the circumstances change.

For more information, see here.