Free choice of pharmacy (freie Apothekenwahl)

Free choice of pharmacy (freie Apothekenwahl) means that patients decide for themselves where a prescription is filled. Under the Therapeutic Products Act, a prescription becomes the property of the person for whom it was issued, and that person remains free to choose the provider where it is filled (Art. 26 para. 2bis let. b HMG).

• For electronic prescriptions, this choice must not be restricted by technical obstacles (Art. 26 para. 2bis let. b HMG).
• Prescribers must not influence the patient's choice of the dispensing provider if they derive a material benefit from it (Art. 26 para. 3 HMG).

The narcotics prescription

According to the Swiss Association of Cantonal Pharmacists (KAV), the white original and the pink copy of the official narcotics prescription (Betäubungsmittelrezept) must be physically present at the pharmacy when the medicine is dispensed; digital transmission is not possible for controlled substances of Verzeichnisse a and d. The original may be handed to the patient or sent to the patient by post, or, with the patient's documented consent, posted directly to a pharmacy of the patient's choice. The consent must be documented in writing and, as a rule, confirmed once a year. Sending prescriptions to patients by e-mail, messenger service or fax is not allowed (KAV position paper 0025). These rules are a position of the cantonal enforcement authorities, not federal law.

In our practice

Our practice has no contracts with any pharmacy. If a prescription is issued, which happens only where medically indicated, patients choose their pharmacy freely. We are a practice, not a pharmacy: we do not store, sell or send medicines. More information is on our pharmacies page.