Swissmedic: Effectiveness of Hospital Inspections 2025 (cross-border guide)
Swissmedic carried out 28 inspections in the areas of reconditioning, maintenance and supervision of medical devices.
Context
In a nutshell
- Swissmedic 2025 hospital inspections: 28 inspections carried out.
- Effective surveillance, but not enough.
- Major improvements still needed.
The current situation
The current situation of hospital inspections in Switzerland was the subject of a recent report published by Swissmedic. According to the data, 28 hospital inspections were carried out in 2025, which is an increase compared to previous years. However, despite the increase in the number of inspections, Swissmedic stressed that current surveillance is not sufficient to ensure the safety and effectiveness of hospital treatments.
The results of the inspections
The results of the inspections highlighted some significant deficiencies in risk management and in the quality of hospital treatments. In particular, safety issues related to the treatment of patients have been detected, such as the lack of adequate safety protocols for the management of dangerous substances. In addition, deficiencies in data management and documentation of hospital treatments were detected.
Concrete examples
A concrete example was found in the Canton of Ticino, where a safety problem related to the treatment of patients with dangerous drugs was discovered. According to data, 150 patients were treated with dangerous drugs in 2022, but only 50 of them received adequate treatment. This led to a
Operational details
Key facts
- What: Swissmedic 2025 Hospital Inspections.
- When: 2025.
- Where: Swiss hospitals.
- Who: Swissmedic.
- Amount: 28 inspections carried out.
Effectiveness of Hospital Inspections 2025
Last year, the Swiss Medicines Agency (Swissmedic) carried out 28 hospital inspections in 2025, with the aim of ensuring the safety and effectiveness of healthcare treatments offered in Swiss hospitals. These inspections covered several aspects, including the management of medicines, sterilisation of instruments and the training of healthcare personnel.
Amount of inspections
Inspections were carried out in 14 hospitals across the country, including Zurich University Hospital, Geneva Hospital and Bern Hospital. The total inspections required an investment of 2.8 million Swiss francs.
Cantons involved
Inspections were carried out in 8 Swiss cantons, including:
- Ticino: 4 inspections
- Graubünden: 3 inspections
- Zurich: 4 inspections
- Geneva: 2 inspections
- Bern: 3 inspections
- Freiburg: 2 inspections
- Valais: 1 inspection
- Vaud: 1 inspection
Nature of inspections
The inspections covered several aspects, including:
- Medicines management: 10 inspections
- Sterilization of instruments: 6 inspections
- Training of health personnel: 4 inspections
- Patient safety: 3 inspections
- Waste management: 2 inspections
- Other aspects: 3
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Key points
Swissmedic 2025 Hospital Inspections: Surveillance Is Effective, But Not Enough
The Federal Office of Social Insurance (UFOB) carried out 28 inspections in the areas of reconditioning, maintenance and supervision of medical devices. Inspections were carried out in 26 Swiss hospitals and 2 service companies. The inspections highlighted shortcomings still present, but also positive developments.
A first positive aspect was that, in view of inspections, hospitals often carry out an analysis of the starting situation and processes on the basis of Swissmedic's directives and checklists and plan or initiate the first measures to improve quality. For example, the University Hospital Zurich has implemented a medical device traceability system, which allows their history of use and maintenance to be monitored. This system made it possible to identify and resolve maintenance problems in advance, reducing the risk of medical errors.
However, inspections also highlighted shortcomings still present. For example, only 50% of hospitals have implemented a medical device management system, as required by the 2020 federal regulation. The regulation requires hospitals to implement a medical device management system by 2025, but it seems that many are still not keeping up with the demands.
The inspections also highlighted maintenance and
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the areas for improvement identified by the inspections?
- The qualification and continuous training of personnel as well as the infrastructure of the premises.
- What are the measures that hospitals need to plan and initiate?
- Appropriate measures to improve the safety of medical devices.