Why does the Federal Council want to introduce mandatory co-financing?

The government intends to amend the Chemicals Act and the Therapeutic Products Act because the chemical and pharmaceutical industries are not willing to support the Tox Info Suisse service on a lasting and substantial basis voluntarily. This decision is based on the fact that manufacturers in these two sectors are considered to be directly and indirectly responsible for more than 70% of the poisonings that occur annually in Switzerland.

What are the expected average costs for the companies involved?

The proposal distinguishes between two categories of average annual costs: for manufacturers of chemicals, the amount is approximately 240 francs, while for holders of marketing authorizations for medicinal products, the figure rises to nearly 5'300 francs. Overall, the measure would affect approximately 5'500 companies in the chemical sector and approximately 300 companies in the medicinal products sector.

What is the current status of the procedure and the expected timeline?

This is a regulatory plan that provides for a shift from funding that is not exclusively public to a mandatory co-financing model. The Federal Council will submit the legislative amendments for consultation, and the deadline for this procedure is set for mid-February. At present, neither the outcome of the consultation nor the date of entry into force has been announced.

Tox Info Suisse: mandatory co-financing for industry

Di Marco Ferrari · Published on 21 October 2026

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The Federal Council wants to impose co-financing for Tox Info Suisse Chemical and pharmaceutical industries involved Consultation planned until mid-

Context

TL;DR

The Federal Council wants to impose co-financing of Tox Info Suisse
The chemical and pharmaceutical industries are involved
Consultation planned until mid-February
Approximately 5'500 chemical and 300 pharmaceutical companies affected

Key facts

Subject → co-financing of Tox Info Suisse
Sectors → chemicals and medicines
Companies involved → around 5'500 in chemicals and around 300 in medicines
Average annual costs → around 240 francs and almost 5'300 francs
Consultation → until mid-February

BERN - The Federal Council wants the national poison information service, 145, not to be funded exclusively by the public sector. To achieve this objective, it intends to amend the Chemicals Act and the Therapeutic Products Act, so as to require the chemical and pharmaceutical industries to co-finance Tox Info Suisse.

The project was confirmed in a statement issued on Wednesday after the government meeting. The text states that the chemical and pharmaceutical industries are unwilling to provide lasting and substantial support for the service on a voluntary basis. According to the statement, this position emerged in discussions between the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) and delegations from the two sectors.

The Federal Council justifies the obligation by citing the role of producers in poisonings. Producers in the two sectors are identified as direct and indirect contributors to more than 70% of poisonings that occur every year in Switzerland. For the government, this link justifies the industry's financial involvement.

The Federal Council will submit the amendments for consultation until mid-February. According to the data provided, the future obligation would concern around 5'500 companies in the chemicals sector and around 300 companies in the medicines sector.

The text also indicates the average annual costs: around 240 francs for producers of chemicals and almost 5'300 francs for holders of medicinal product authorizations. The difference between the two figures reflects the distinction between the two groups concerned.

The point announced in Bern

The decision described by the source is a regulatory intention: the Federal Council wants to shift the model from one that is not exclusively publicly funded to mandatory co-financing by the two sectors. The step indicated now is consultation on the two laws; the text does not yet report an outcome of the procedure.

Operational details

Comparison of the number of entities and the average contribution

The proposal brings together two very different numbers: on the one hand, the larger number of companies in the chemical sector, and on the other, the smaller group of holders of authorizations for medicinal products. Each category is associated with a different average annual cost.

Two calculation bases

To make the data comparable, the number of entities indicated by the government can be multiplied by the corresponding average annual cost. The result is an arithmetic calculation based on the source values, not a sum presented directly in the federal note.

Table 1: Sector
Sector	Entities indicated	Average annual cost	Indicative calculation
Chemical substances	approximately 5'500 companies	approximately 240 francs	approximately 1,32 million francs
Medicinal products	approximately 300 authorization holders	almost 5'300 francs	almost 1,59 million francs

In the chemical sector, 5'500 multiplied by 240 produces 1'320'000 francs, that is, approximately 1,32 million. In the medicinal products sector, 300 multiplied by 5'300 produces 1'590'000 francs, that is, almost 1,59 million. The arithmetic sum is therefore approximately 2,91 million francs per year, if it is assumed that each entity falls within the indicated average cost.

However, this sum is not a figure announced by the Federal Council. It serves only to consider the number of companies and the average contribution together, while keeping the annual period visible. The individual ratio also shows a clear difference: almost 5'300 francs is equivalent to approximately 22 times 240 francs. The comparison must nevertheless remain indicative, because the source values are expressed as averages.

The available figures thus show two levels: the chemical sector includes more companies, but with a lower average cost per producer; the medicinal products sector includes fewer holders, with a higher average cost. The source does not describe the formula by which the individual amount would be calculated, nor the actual revenue from the new regulation.

Key points

The precedent for public funding

The federal proposal is part of a funding history dating back about sixty years. Initially, Tox Info Suisse could rely on support from private organizations and on revenue secured through contracts with hospitals, donations and public contributions. In recent years, however, most private organizations have progressively withdrawn their support.

From the historical model to parliamentary debate

The withdrawal of private funders is the point that the Federal Council highlighted in talks with industry. The note states that the voluntary support of the two sectors does not appear sufficient to guarantee lasting and substantial support for the poison-case advisory service.

Parliament had already addressed the issue: during the 2025 winter session, it had allocated the resources needed to ensure the continuity of the national emergency number for poisonings, but the Federal Council had rejected the increase.

Speaking in the Council of States, Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter had warned that Parliament’s approval of the increase in federal funds would reduce the Confederation’s negotiating room. According to reports, the government aimed to obtain co-financing for Tox Info from private organizations. Keller-Sutter had also reported that the Federal Council considered the withdrawal of private organizations from the emergency service regrettable.

What remains open

The available content does not specify the precise closing date of the consultation, its outcome or the date on which the amendments will enter into force. Nor does it explain how the costs would be distributed among the individual companies or how average values would be converted into an individual amount.

The source therefore presents a proposal submitted for consultation, not a regulation that has already entered into force. It reports the parliamentary funding secured for the continuation of the service and the Federal Council’s intention to make the two sectors participate on a mandatory basis, but does not document any further changes to the operation of number 145.

Source: tio.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Federal Council want to introduce mandatory co-financing?: The government intends to amend the Chemicals Act and the Therapeutic Products Act because the chemical and pharmaceutical industries are not willing to support the Tox Info Suisse service on a lasting and substantial basis voluntarily. This decision is based on the fact that manufacturers in these two sectors are considered to be directly and indirectly responsible for more than 70% of the poisonings that occur annually in Switzerland.
What are the expected average costs for the companies involved?: The proposal distinguishes between two categories of average annual costs: for manufacturers of chemicals, the amount is approximately 240 francs, while for holders of marketing authorizations for medicinal products, the figure rises to nearly 5'300 francs. Overall, the measure would affect approximately 5'500 companies in the chemical sector and approximately 300 companies in the medicinal products sector.
What is the current status of the procedure and the expected timeline?: This is a regulatory plan that provides for a shift from funding that is not exclusively public to a mandatory co-financing model. The Federal Council will submit the legislative amendments for consultation, and the deadline for this procedure is set for mid-February. At present, neither the outcome of the consultation nor the date of entry into force has been announced.