What the cantonal pharmacist does: supervision explained

Every canton has an office that oversees pharmacies and the handling of medicines: the cantonal pharmacist (Kantonsapotheker:in). This article explains what that office supervises, which controls and reports come together there, and what this means for patients.

Who the cantonal pharmacists are

Cantonal pharmacists enforce federal and cantonal law on therapeutic products, in particular the Therapeutic Products Act (HMG), the Narcotics Act and the cantonal health acts. They hold a pharmacist's diploma recognised in Switzerland and, as a rule, have professional experience in pharmacy (KAV job profile).

Depending on the canton, the office is called the cantonal pharmacy (Kantonsapotheke), the cantonal medicines control (kantonale Heilmittelkontrolle) or something similar, and some cantons share an office. Our canton pages name the competent authority for each canton, for example for Zurich and Basel-Landschaft, where our practices are located.

What they supervise

According to the job profile of the Association of Cantonal Pharmacists (KAV), this includes (KAV job profile):

• the practice of the therapeutic products professions, that is pharmacists, druggists and part of medical activity,
• the businesses that dispense therapeutic products, such as pharmacies, drugstores and hospitals,
• the trade in medicines, including intervening against illegal trade,
• good manufacturing practice for medicines produced in small quantities.

They also advise the cantonal government on therapeutic products and carry out the preliminary review of licence applications at federal and cantonal level.

Controls and inspections

Cantonal pharmacists can carry out controls and inspections, including on behalf of the Confederation (KAV job profile). The Narcotics Act requires the cantons to designate the authorities responsible for this control (Art. 29d para. 1 let. d BetmG).

Anyone subject to official control must give the control bodies access to sales and storage rooms, show their stocks of narcotics and the related records, and provide the information requested. The officials entrusted with this control are bound by a duty of confidentiality without time limit (Art. 18 BetmG).

Reports that reach the canton

Several reports under narcotics law go to the competent cantonal authority:

• Schengen certificates. The pharmacy that authenticates a Schengen certificate promptly sends a copy to the authority of the canton in which the treatment took place (Art. 42 para. 3 BetmKV). The Swissmedic form names the competent cantonal pharmacy or cantonal medicines control as the recipient. At the start of each year, the cantonal office informs Swissmedic of the number of certificates issued in the previous year, and it answers enquiries from foreign authorities that Swissmedic forwards to it (Art. 43 BetmKV).
• Use outside the authorisation. Anyone who dispenses or prescribes narcotics authorised as medicines for indications other than the authorised ones reports this to the competent cantonal authority within 30 days (Art. 11 para. 1bis BetmG; Art. 29d para. 1 let. c BetmG).

The MeCanna data collection is separate: it goes to the BAG in pseudonymised form, not to the canton (Art. 8b and 18f BetmG). More: reporting to the FOPH.

The forms and the position papers

Physicians order the pads for the narcotics prescription in writing from the cantonal issuing office. Only physicians with a valid licence to practise and activity in the canton may obtain them (KAV 0025, section 7). Swissmedic supplies the forms to the cantons (Art. 47 para. 5 BetmKV).

Nationally, the cantonal pharmacists coordinate through the KAV. It publishes position papers such as 0025 on medical prescriptions and 0021 on cannabis medicines. They are positions of the cantonal enforcement authorities, not federal law; paper 0021 expressly reserves differing cantonal rules. According to the BAG, the cantonal pharmacists determine whether specific preparations can be prescribed (BAG FAQ on cannabis medicines).

Cantonal pharmacists and cantonal physicians

The two offices have different tasks. Cantonal pharmacists mainly supervise pharmacies and the trade in medicines. According to the BAG, cantonal physicians supervise compliance with the medical duty of care and can, in extreme cases, withdraw a licence to practise. The cantons can withdraw powers to handle narcotics under Art. 12 BetmG. Who supervises prescriptions gives an overview.

What this means for patients

• The pharmacy where you fill a prescription is supervised by the cantonal pharmacist. Pharmacies may dispense narcotics to the public only on a medical prescription (Art. 13 BetmG).
• You choose the pharmacy freely (Art. 26 para. 2bis let. b HMG). Our practice has no contracts with any pharmacy.

In our practice

Where medically indicated, our physician Oxana Smagulova prescribes on the official form, which she obtains through the cantonal issuing office. There is no entitlement to a prescription; the physician decides on the basis of the medical assessment. The canton pages and the list of pharmacies are under cantons and pharmacies.

Further reading

• Reading the narcotics form
• The Schengen certificate step by step
• Cantonal pharmacist (glossary)
• The medical route in Switzerland

This article is general information and not legal or medical advice.