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Swiss pharma will have to fund poisoning helpline

Tox Info: Federal Council insists on co-funding by industry
Tox Info: Federal Council insists on co-funding by industry Keystone-SDA

The Swiss government remains opposed to the national poison information centre being funded solely by the public sector. It now intends to use legislative amendments to compel the pharma and chemicals industry to contribute to the funding of Tox Info.

Following his meeting on Wednesday, he stated that the chemical and pharmaceutical industries were not prepared to provide substantial, long-term support for the information centre on a voluntary basis. Yet Tox Info Suisse had been founded some 60 years ago, partly thanks to private sponsors.

By amending the Chemicals Act and the Medicines Act, the governing Federal Council now intends to compel the two sectors to contribute to the funding. A proposal to this effect will be open for consultation until mid-February.

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The new regulations will cost the two sectors an average of around CHF240 per year for chemical manufacturers and around CHF5,300 per year for pharma firms.

+ How we produce news in English
Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist. 

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR