Glossary
Short, neutral definitions of the legal and administrative terms around a physician-led treatment in Switzerland, with the official source for each.
- Basic insurance (Grundversicherung)Basic insurance (Grundversicherung) is the common name for compulsory health insurance in Switzerland, in German obligatorische Krankenpflegeversicherung (OKP).
- Cantonal pharmacist (Kantonsapotheker:in)Cantonal pharmacists (Kantonsapotheker:innen) are the cantonal authorities that enforce federal and cantonal law on therapeutic products, in particular the Therapeutic Products Act and the Narcotics Act (KAV job profile).
- Cantonal physician (Kantonsärzt:in)According to the BAG, cantonal physicians (Kantonsärzt:innen) supervise compliance with the medical duty of care and can, in extreme cases, withdraw a licence to practise (BAG FAQ on cannabis medicines).
- Cost approval (Kostengutsprache)A cost approval (Kostengutsprache) is the health insurer's prior commitment to cover the costs of a specific treatment.
- Federal Office of Public Health (BAG)The Federal Office of Public Health (Bundesamt für Gesundheit, BAG; in English also FOPH) is part of the Federal Department of Home Affairs and, according to its own description, responsible for the health of the population and Swiss health policy.
- Fitness to drive (Fahrfähigkeit)Fitness to drive (Fahrfähigkeit) is the physical and mental capacity required to drive a vehicle at a given time.
- Free choice of pharmacy (freie Apothekenwahl)Free choice of pharmacy (freie Apothekenwahl) means that a prescription belongs to the person for whom it was issued, who remains free to choose where it is filled (Art. 26 HMG).
- Licence to practise (Berufsausübungsbewilligung)A licence to practise (Berufsausübungsbewilligung) is the cantonal licence required to practise a university medical profession under one's own professional responsibility.
- Magistral preparation (Magistralrezeptur)A magistral preparation (Formula magistralis) is a medicine that a public or hospital pharmacy prepares on a medical prescription for a specific person or a specific group of persons (Art. 9 para. 2 let. a HMG).
- Mail order (Versandhandel)Mail order (Versandhandel) is the dispensing of medicines by sending them to the patient; in Switzerland, it is prohibited in principle and possible only with a cantonal licence (Art. 27 HMG).
- MeCanna (BAG reporting system)MeCanna is the online reporting system of the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) for medical treatments with cannabis medicines (Art. 8b and 18f BetmG; Art. 65a to 65f BetmKV).
- Medical adviser (Vertrauensarzt)A medical adviser (Vertrauensarzt) is a physician appointed by health insurers or their associations to advise them on medical questions and on reimbursement and tariff matters.
- Narcotics Act (BetmG)The BetmG (Betäubungsmittelgesetz, Federal Act on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances, SR 812.121) of 3 October 1951 is the Swiss federal law on narcotics.
- Narcotics Control Ordinance (BetmKV)The BetmKV (Betäubungsmittelkontrollverordnung, Narcotics Control Ordinance, SR 812.121.1) of 25 May 2011 is the Federal Council ordinance that implements the control system of the Narcotics Act (Art. 1 BetmKV).
- Narcotics Lists Ordinance (BetmVV-EDI)The BetmVV-EDI (Betäubungsmittelverzeichnisverordnung, SR 812.121.11) is the ordinance of the Federal Department of Home Affairs that contains the binding lists (Verzeichnisse) of controlled substances (Art. 1 and 2 BetmVV-EDI).
- Narcotics prescription (Betäubungsmittelrezept)The narcotics prescription (Betäubungsmittelrezept) is the official, numbered form that physicians in Switzerland must use for medicines with controlled substances of Verzeichnisse a and d (Art. 46 para. 2 BetmKV).
- One percent limit (total THC)The one percent limit is the threshold of Swiss narcotics law: hemp plants, objects and preparations with an average total THC content of at least 1.0 percent are narcotics, while hemp products below it are not subject to the Narcotics Act (Annex 1 BetmVV-EDI).
- Pilot trial (Pilotversuch)A pilot trial (Pilotversuch) is a non-medical scientific study authorised by the BAG under Art. 8a BetmG and limited in place, time and number of participants.
- Schengen certificate (Schengen-Bescheinigung)The Schengen certificate (Schengen-Bescheinigung) is the official form that allows patients to carry prescribed medicines with controlled substances for up to 30 days when travelling within the Schengen area.
- Supplementary insurance (Zusatzversicherung)A supplementary insurance (Zusatzversicherung) is a private health insurance policy held in addition to basic insurance; what it covers depends on the individual policy.
- SwissmedicSwissmedic is the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Schweizerisches Heilmittelinstitut), a public-law institution of the Confederation with its own legal personality (Art. 68 HMG).
- Telemedicine (Telemedizin)Telemedicine (Telemedizin) means medical consultations at a distance, for example by video; Switzerland has no specific federal act on it, so the general rules apply.
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