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The dependency on drug imports became clear during the pandemic. Now the pharmaceutical industry is reacting.
Behind the popular initiative is IG Pharma KMU, an interest group of small and medium-sized Swiss pharmaceutical companies. For example the Ticino company IBSA. Their head of Swiss business, Malesa Sidjanski, explains what they want to achieve with the initiative: “We want to ensure that the security of supply of important medicines in Switzerland is improved in the future.”
According to Sidjanski, they want to achieve this goal with six measures: The federal government should now be responsible for security of supply, previously it was the cantons. This improves the overview of the availability of medicines. In addition, the warehouses for the medicines are to be enlarged. Cooperation with neighboring countries is also to be intensified. The aim is to make the supply chains for important medicines safer.
Homeland security for the pharmaceutical industry?
And then the initiative wants “that the research, development and production of medicines in Switzerland should be promoted,” says Sidjanski. This means that the initiators want pharmaceutical companies that produce essential medicines in Switzerland to receive money from the federal government.
So does this security of supply initiative only serve to protect the homeland of Swiss pharmaceutical companies? No way, says IBSA Switzerland boss Sidjanski: “It’s not homeland security. We propose six measures and only one of them is about promoting research, development and production of medicines in Switzerland.”
Legend:
Cough syrup in the pharmacy – sold out. The fever medication for children as well. The shortage of medication has arrived in everyday life in Switzerland.
Keystone/DPA/Stephanie Pilick
The state should therefore support companies that produce for the domestic market. How is this demand received by the Liberals? Damian Müller, FDP member of the Council of States and Vice President of the Health Commission, thinks it’s basically a good thing that the pharmaceutical industry is taking action.
Support from the FDP…
“I welcome the basic concern and, above all, that the industry wants to act now,” says Müller. It cannot be that the state simply provides financial resources for compulsory stocks and medicines are stored there that then expire and have to be destroyed. “You have to create framework conditions in a targeted manner and work with the pharmaceutical industry to see where the lever needs to be applied.”
No watering can, but targeted measures to increase security of supply in Switzerland – that’s what it’s all about, says Müller. He welcomes this pharmaceutical initiative.
… critical tones from the SP
In complete contrast to the SP health politician and National Councilor Flavia Wasserfallen. She fears that the pharmaceutical industry is only trying to justify its high prices with this initiative. She emphasizes: “A year ago, in a report, the Federal Council outlined measures to improve the supply situation with medicines.” Wasserfallen calls on the initiators to get involved constructively in this process. “The initiative is taking too long, cannot solve the problem and ignores the fact that it has to be coordinated with other European countries.”
It remains to be seen which way out of the drug shortage. In any case, the collection of signatures for the initiative should start at the beginning of March.