Improving supply of medicines

Some commonly prescribed medicines regularly experience supply shortages. Who is responsible if a medicine can’t be delivered? What is the federal government doing for patients, hospitals and care homes?

Medicine shortages

Worldwide, access to certain medications is becoming increasingly difficult. This particularly affects essential medicines that chronically ill patients rely on – for example people living with neurological, cardiovascular or psychiatric conditions.

The federal government has already taken action but the situation remains difficult. Further steps are therefore planned.

What is already regulated?

Responsibility for ensuring the supply of medicines primarily lies with the private sector and the cantons. The federal government already has special powers for crisis situations (if there is a considerable risk to or disruption of national economic supply) and for special cases such as epidemics in order to prevent and control the outbreak and spread of communicable diseases. However, it does not have the authority to guarantee a reliable supply of medicines that are essential in everyday life for the public and the health system.

The federal government’s measures are underpinned by:

  • the Federal Act on the National Economic Supply (NESA), for which the National Economic Supply (NES) system is responsible;
  • the Epidemics Act (EpA), for which the FOPH is responsible.

Other relevant laws are the Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) and the Health Insurance Act (HIA), for which the FOPH is also responsible.

What is the federal government doing next?

The federal government has adopted a package with additional measures to counteract the shortages and to be able to guarantee supply for patients. In doing so, it drew on the proposals put forward by a group of experts appointed by the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) and the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER).

The measures are to be implemented in stages. Initial measures will be tackled immediately, some measures will require preparatory work, and for others the federal government first needs the necessary powers (constitutional basis).

1. Regulatory simplification

  • Simplified import
  • Facilitation for pharmacies to produce medicines
  • Further simplification of authorisation procedures
  • Reviewing a potential recognition of EU approvals

These measures can be implemented with the partial revision 3b of the Therapeutic Products Act. The consultation process will be opened in the summer of 2026.

2. Categorisation and communication

  • Categorisation: the medicines will be classified by patient necessity so that more targeted measures can be put in place.
  • Availability of information on the supply situation: to allow e.g. pharmacies, hospitals and medical practices to assess the duration of a shortage and potential alternatives.

This work will start later this year so that the measures can be implemented as swiftly as possible.

3. Expanded federal powers

The federal government is often unable to take action in the most common shortages as it lacks the legal basis. The direct counterproposal to the popular initiative ‘Yes to the secure supply of medical products’ aims to give the federal government greater powers in areas where they are lacking and where the market alone is unable to guarantee uninterrupted supply.

Are you affected?

Situation, causes and current measures

  • Security in the supply of medicines

    The supply of medicines in Switzerland can no longer be assured in all cases. The federal government is looking into additional measures and implementation proposals to assure a regular supply of medicinal products.

    More about «Security in the supply of medicines»

Further information

Further topics

Federal Office of Public Health FOPH

Health Protection Directorate
Competence center for supply security
Schwarzenburgstrasse 157
Switzerland - 3003 Bern