Drug prices have become cheaper compared to other countries

Medicines are still more expensive in Switzerland than in neighboring countries. Generic medicines sometimes cost almost twice as much as in other European countries. However, the price difference has narrowed.

The price difference with other European countries is 11 percent this year. That corresponds to a decrease of four percentage points compared to last year, health insurer Santésuisse and the interest group of research-based pharmaceutical companies Interpharma announced on Wednesday.

The reasons for this are the continuous price reductions by the Federal Office of Public Health and lower Swiss prices for so-called original organic products. These are medicines that have been produced biotechnologically or with the help of genetically modified organisms.

On average, the prices of patented medicines abroad are still 5.4 percent lower than in Switzerland. Last year, however, the difference was greater at 8.8 percent. Original products with an expired patent cost 10.8 percent less abroad than in Switzerland, reducing the price difference by 3.6 percentage points compared to 2022.

Generic drugs are still almost twice as expensive in Switzerland as abroad. The price difference this year was 46 percent, a slight decrease of two percentage points compared to last year. So-called biosimilars, generic medicines of biologically manufactured medicines, also cost 27.5 percent less abroad. Last year, however, the difference was greater at 34 percent.

Santésuisse sees great savings potential in these imitation products in particular. The association called for constant review and reduction of the prices of generics and biosimilars in order to bring them to European level. This could save about one billion Swiss francs.

For consumer protection, this consumer relief would be urgently needed “given the current price explosion” and rising premiums. Such price differences are “not even remotely justified”, according to the foundation.

It is incomprehensible that the bourgeois majority in parliament values ​​the profits of international pharmaceutical companies more than the purchasing power of Swiss consumers. According to consumer protection, the savings potential for generic medicines should finally be exploited.

The price comparison has been carried out for the fourteenth time. Ex-factory prices in Switzerland were compared to those in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden for patent-protected and patent-expired medicines, as well as for generics and biosimilars in the period from January to April 2023.

(jam/sda)