Information related to the specialities list

The FOPH regularly informs interested parties, particularly licence holders of drugs on the specialities list (SL/LS), on important developments relating to the list. These notifications are published here.

Internal reference price (IRP) of pharmaceuticals whose patent protection has already expired: special case

On 9 May 2022, the FOPH informed the associations of pharmaceutical companies and health insurers in writing about the immediately valid measure for conducting the IRP for a pharmaceutical whose patent protection has already expired and for which no other pharmaceutical whose patent has also expired is available as therapeutic alternative.

Letter to associations deduction patent IRP (in German and French) (PDF, 170 kB, 15.06.2022)

Discontinuation of the printed edition of the list of specialties

Due to declining demand, the printed list of specialties will no longer be available from 2021. The monthly updated data on the list of specialties and the directives of the BAG, the provisions and introduction to the GGML (birth defect medication list) and the introduction to the list of generics can be found at www.spezialitätenliste.ch.

Exchange erates for SL/LS applications and reviews

The factors included in the FOPH’s assessment of the cost-effectiveness of drugs on the specialities list include the prices of drugs in nine reference countries in Europe (Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Austria, France, Sweden, Belgium and Finland). The FOPH converts foreign ex-factory prices into Swiss francs twice a year, on January 1 and July 1, at the exchange rates published here. These exchange rates are calculated on the basis of the average monthly exchange rates published by the Swiss National Bank for the previous twelve months.

Exchange rates for foreign price comparisons to the FOPH between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2024.