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 (HMG) and the Narcotics Act. They supervise pharmacies and other dispensing businesses, part of medical activity and the trade in medicines. Nationally, they coordinate through the Association of Cantonal Pharmacists (Kantonsapothekervereinigung, KAV), which publishes position papers (KAV job profile).

Their role for medicines with controlled substances

• Preparations: according to the BAG, the cantonal pharmacists are responsible for determining whether specific preparations can be prescribed (BAG FAQ on cannabis medicines).
• Position papers: the KAV publishes 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.
• Narcotics prescriptions: according to paper 0025, the white original and the pink copy of the narcotics prescription must be physically present at the pharmacy when the medicine is dispensed, and digital transmission is not possible for Verzeichnisse a and d. Prescription pads are issued only to physicians with a valid licence to practise and activity in the canton.
• Duty of care: according to the BAG, compliance with the medical duty of care is supervised by the cantonal physicians (BAG FAQ on cannabis medicines).

Where patients meet it

For patients, the cantonal pharmacist is the authority that supervises the pharmacies where prescriptions are filled (KAV job profile). Every canton page on our site names the office responsible for medicines and narcotics in that canton: see the cantons.