Switzerland records fewer illegal medicine imports

Fewer illegal imports of medicinal products recorded Keystone-SDA

Last year, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security seized 5,668 illegal imports of medicinal products. This represents a decrease of 15% compared to the previous year, as reported by the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products Swissmedic.

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Erectile stimulants were still in first place among the medicines seized by the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), accounting for 57% of the total.

Here too, however, Swissmedic recorded a sharp decrease compared to 2023 and previous years, as was reported on Friday. At that time, the proportion of erectile stimulants averaged 80% of total medicine seized.

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A full 10% of the medicines confiscated last year were psychotropic drugs and sleeping pills and tranquillizers, which can be addictive according to Swissmedic. Meanwhile, illegal nasal sprays and laxatives were in third place with a share of 6%.

According to Swissmedic, half of the confiscated shipments in 2024 were sent from Western Europe and India.

Adapted from German by DeepL/jdp

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