“It’s a sad situation that we’ve reached,” Enea Martinelli, a hospital pharmacist and board member of the pharmacist association pharmaSuisse, told Swiss public broadcaster SRF. The biggest problem, he said, is children’s medications, especially fever-reducing syrup, as well as blood pressure medications, psychiatric medications and Parkinson’s medications. Painkillers are also a problem.
The Federal Office for National Economic Supply (FONES) confirmed that supply disruptions are on the rise, indicating that the number of shortages of essential medicines is likely to be higher than in 2019.
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The end of affordable medicine
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Pharma companies are close to a cure for cancer, but will the hefty price tags make treatments unaffordable for most of the world?
The reasons are multiple but largely stem from the ongoing lockdowns in China and the war in Ukraine that have created supply bottlenecks. In some cases, it’s the active ingredient that’s missing while in others it is the vial or packaging. Switzerland is also a small country so not a big priority for drug makers.
The shortages have forced doctors to procure medicine from abroad in some cases, said Philippe Luchsinger, who heads the Swiss physicians’ association. Luchsinger called on people not to hoard medicines but rather “only buy medicines when you need them”.
Doctors Without Borders demands Swiss Gaza clarification
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The NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has challenged Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis to explain his controversial Gaza statements.
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One in five bee colonies failed to survive Swiss winter
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Almost a fifth of bee colonies in Switzerland failed to survive the winter. Losses have been greater than in previous years.
Switzerland condemns deadly attack on UN convoy in Sudan
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Switzerland has strongly condemned the deadly attack on a United Nations humanitarian convoy in Sudan. Five people were killed, wrote the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on Platform X.
Most over-65s in Switzerland regularly use the internet
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The digital divide is narrowing faster than expected in Switzerland. A study published on Wednesday reveals that nine out of ten over-65s use the internet.
Will Swiss president be forbidden from speaking English to counterparts?
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Switzerland's president, Karin Keller-Sutter, should use one of the country's four national languages when communicating with international organisations, and not English, according to a motion that passed on Wednesday.
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Limited number of drugs account for a fifth of all costs
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A lack of transparency around the pricing of many top-selling Swiss drugs is also a problem, said an umbrella group of health insurers on Wednesday.
Swiss industry group worried about global supply chain issues
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Despite high demand, the Swiss machinery, electrical engineering and metal (MEM) sector is still hampered by delivery bottlenecks.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.