Drug discounts, surveillance is ineffective (cross-border guide)

Context

Key facts

• The FOPH does not use all the tools available for surveillance of the drug market. The CDF conducted an audit on the work of the FOPH and found that supervision is ineffective. In 2024, drug prices accounted for almost a quarter of basic health insurance costs. The pharmaceutical industry granted pecuniary advantages for a total of 743 million, equivalent to 8% of turnover. Only 88 million, 12%, went back to insurers and policyholders.

Drug discounts, vigilance is ineffective

Switzerland is known for its attention to detail and high-quality healthcare network, but also for drug prices that continue to be an issue. In 2024, drug prices accounted for almost a quarter of basic health insurance costs. This is a problem that does not solve itself and requires more effective surveillance by the FOPH.

The CDF conducted an audit on the work of the FOPH and found that supervision is ineffective. According to the audit, the FOPH does not use all the tools available for drug market surveillance. This means that measures are not sufficient to ensure that drug prices are fair and that policyholders are not victims of abusive practices.

In 2022, the pharmaceutical industry granted pecuniary advantages totalling CHF 743 million, equivalent to 8%

Operational details

The audit of the Federal State Council (FSC) found that the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) does not use all available tools for drug market surveillance. In particular, the FOPH does not collect generalized data and does not use effective sanctioning tools. The CDF recommended increasing staffing and developing a whistleblowing platform for whistleblowing.

The audit report highlighted that the FOPH does not have an adequate surveillance network to monitor the activity of drug manufacturers. In addition, the agency does not have an effective data management system for collecting and analyzing information related to drug active substances. This makes it difficult for the FOPH to identify and prevent pharmaceutical fraud.

The CDF also noted that the FOPH does not have a clear action plan to address pharmaceutical fraud. The agency does not have an adequate monitoring system to track the activities of drug manufacturers and does not have effective sanctioning tools to punish fraud. This makes it difficult for the FOPH to prevent and sanction pharmaceutical fraud.

The CDF recommended to increase the staffing of the FOPH and to develop a whistleblowing platform for whistleblowing. In addition, the agency must develop a clear action plan to address pharmaceutical fraud and have a system of

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Key points

The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) does not use all the tools available for drug market surveillance. The Control of Finance (CDF) conducted an audit on the work of the FOPH and found that supervision is ineffective. It is important that the FOPH uses all available tools to ensure the safety and quality of drugs.

According to the CDF, the FOPH has not implemented adequate measures to prevent the counterfeiting and marketing of fake drugs. In addition, the FOPH has not carried out enough controls on pharmacies and drug importers to ensure that they comply with the regulations in force. This behaviour is particularly worrying considering that in 2022 over 100 cases of counterfeit drugs were reported in Switzerland, with a total value of over CHF 500,000.

The CDF also found that the FOPH has not implemented an effective tracking system for drugs, which makes it difficult to manage spare parts and prevent counterfeiting. In addition, the FOPH has not carried out enough checks on pharmacies to ensure that they comply with the regulations in force. This behavior is particularly worrying considering that in 2022 more than 50 violations of regulations relating to the marketing of drugs in Switzerland were reported, with a total value of more than 200,000 francs.

The CDF also found

Source: rsi.ch