Statistics released by the Federal Statistics Office (FSO) on Thursday mark a jump in the pill-popping habits of Swiss citizens over the past decades. In 1992, 38% of the population took at least one medicine per week; by 2017 it was 50%.
As for types of medication, painkillers are the most frequent – almost one-quarter of the population had consumed them in the week before the 2017 survey, double the 1992 amount.
Next most popular were medicines for hypertension (16%), cholesterol levels (8%), and heart issues (7%). Psychoactive medication usage did not significantly increase, with the exception of anti-depressants.
Though the reasons for the increasing figures are not fully known, the FSO did say that workplace stress could contribute to health and psychological problems. Some 20% of workers experience often or always stress on the job.
This said, the 22,134 Swiss who took part in the 2017 survey were largely happy with their situation: 85% reckoned themselves in good health, while 92% said their quality of life was good. Three-quarters said they were satisfied with their work.
More
More
Opioid painkiller prescriptions surge in Switzerland
This content was published on
Prescription for powerful opioid medication have increased twenty-fold in the last thirty years, a recent study has found.
Swiss football boss wants crackdown on individual hooligans
This content was published on
The head of the Swiss Football League says he prefers a harsher approach to individual hooligans rather than collective punishment measures affecting all fans.
Amherd: Council of Europe is ‘as urgently needed as ever’
This content was published on
The Swiss government emphasised on Sunday the vital role of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, 75 years after it was founded.
Swiss minister: Italy will back Switzerland in EU talks
This content was published on
Bern can count on the backing of Italy as it re-enters talks with the European Union on future relations, Viola Amherd says.
Student protestors at University of Lausanne continue pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
Since Thursday, a hall on campus has been occupied by students calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and a ceasefire in Gaza.
This content was published on
Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF are drastically reducing their communications via the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott
This content was published on
Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
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.
Read more
More
Medicines: Is Switzerland too rich to save money?
This content was published on
Switzerland could save millions of francs by prescribing low-priced biotech drug copies, known as biosimilars, instead of expensive biologicals.
This content was published on
Older patients are often excluded from clinical trials, with the result that much remains unknown about how they are affected by medications.
This content was published on
Swiss officials seized 1,060 shipments of illegally imported medicines in 2017. There was an increase in illegal imports from Eastern Europe.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
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.