Supplying Medicines and Supplements to Switzerland

Switzerland sits outside the EU but works closely with it. Swissmedic authorises medicines, and the holder needs a Swiss address and a Swiss licence. Under Article 13 of the Therapeutic Products Act, Swissmedic takes into account an approval from a country with comparable control, such as the EU, the US or Canada. Reimbursed medicines are listed on the Specialties List.

Switzerland is also a source of originator medicines, comparators, APIs and contract manufacturing. It has a GMP mutual recognition agreement with the EU, and Swiss APIs need no written confirmation for EU use. Swissmedic issues GMP and GDP certificates in English, and Certificates of a Pharmaceutical Product through its eGov service.

Switzerland at a glance

How to supply medicines to Switzerland

1. Set up a Swiss holder. The applicant needs a Swiss address, registered office or branch, and a Swissmedic licence to manufacture, import or wholesale. Our dossier licensing and registration service can help you prepare the file.
2. Use your existing approval. Under Article 13 of the Therapeutic Products Act, Swissmedic takes into account a foreign assessment when the product is authorised in a country with comparable control. Its published list has named the EU/EEA, the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. The dossier must be identical to the one approved abroad, with the final assessment reports. Through the Access Consortium, one dossier can also be reviewed with Australia, Canada, Singapore and the UK.
3. Import under a Swissmedic licence. Commercial importers need a Swissmedic licence, granted after an inspection, and in principle only Swiss-authorised products can be imported. Switzerland's GMP agreement with the EU helps EU-made batches. See our Europe and Turkey import guide.
4. Get onto the Specialties List. Reimbursed medicines are listed on the Specialties List. Prices are set after comparing similar treatments and prices abroad, and reviewed every three years. Watch the law: a consultation opened on 19 June 2026, running to 16 October 2026, on a simpler route for medicines approved by comparable regulators.

Healthcare professionals can import non-authorised medicines in limited cases under the medicinal products licensing ordinance. A proposed change would also let wholesalers and importers bring in non-authorised medicines temporarily during shortages. See named-patient and special import and government tender supply.

Sourcing from Switzerland

• Originator medicines and comparators. Swiss-authorised originator packs can serve as clinical-trial comparators. Firms that trade medicines abroad from Switzerland need a Swissmedic licence and must keep the supply chain traceable to the licence holder or manufacturer, with the original batch number on each delivery. See our comparator sourcing guide.
• APIs and their documents. Switzerland is on the EU's exempt list, so Swiss APIs need no written confirmation for EU use. Ask for a CEP or a DMF and the plant's GMP certificate. See CEP vs DMF vs ASMF and our API supplier service.
• Contract manufacturing and GMP certificates. Swissmedic issues GMP and GDP certificates, in English, to Swiss-domiciled companies holding a valid licence. They can be viewed and downloaded free in the SwissGMDP database, and any legalisation is the company's job. Read our contract manufacturing guide or ask about white-label manufacturing.
• Export certificates. Swissmedic issues the Certificate of a Pharmaceutical Product, ordered through its eGov CPP service. Combine it with the GMP certificate in a documentation and quality pack.

Supplements

Food supplements are food in Switzerland, governed by the FDHA Ordinance on Food Supplements, which sets maximum levels for vitamins and minerals. Most need no authorisation and individual products are not notified, though novel ingredients and unlisted health claims need FSVO approval. Businesses register their activity with the canton, are responsible for safety, and must keep disease claims off the pack. We help brands get supplements made under their own label by GMP-certified contract manufacturers: see nutraceutical private label.

What people in Switzerland search for

Semrush data from October 2026 shows that people in Switzerland search most for ashwagandha, omega 3 and magnesium (about 18,100 searches a month each), vitamin B12 (14,800), and vitamin D and "kreatin" (creatine, 12,100 each).

Swiss searches mix German and French. Paracetamol and metamizole are mostly searched under local brand names, while "pantoprazol" (3,180 a month), "amlodipin" (2,380), "ibuprofen" (2,310) and "candesartan" (2,190) are searched by generic name.

How importers, pharmacies and manufacturers in Switzerland search

Trade searches are few and specific: "private label" gets about 170 searches a month and "contract manufacturing" about 50.

Originator brands searched by name include Ozempic (semaglutide). Brand names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify the medicine.

Supplements we can help you make

Often searched medicines include paracetamol, metamizole, semaglutide and pantoprazole. Some examples we list:

Auf Deutsch: Arzneimittelimport nach Europa und in die Türkei: Leitfaden nach Ländern (2026)

En français: Importer des médicaments en Europe et en Turquie : guide pays par pays (2026)

In italiano: Importare medicinali in Europa e Turchia: guida paese per paese (2026)

Documents to ask your supplier for

• A Certificate of a Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) in WHO format.
• The plant's GMP evidence, such as a WHO-GMP, EU-GMP or PIC/S certificate, plus any inspection by your regulator.
• The registration dossier (CTD or ACTD), with bioequivalence data for generics where required.
• Stability data for hot climates.
• A Certificate of Analysis for every batch.

Not sure a supplier is genuine? Read how to verify a pharmaceutical supplier. For the neighbouring markets, see our Europe and Turkey import guide.

Frequently asked questions