“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”.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
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French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
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A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
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Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
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The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
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Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Police clear out pro-Palestinian students protesting in Geneva
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The police intervened early on Tuesday to dislodge pro-Palestinian students who had been occupying the University of Geneva for almost a week.
New gel developed in Zurich renders alcohol harmless
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A newly developed gel composed of whey proteins breaks down alcohol in the body and could reduce its harmful and intoxicating effects in humans.
Pro-Palestine protests extend to Basel and Fribourg universities
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Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of all Israeli institutions and disassociation with Chaim Weizmann, the first Israeli president.
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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.