How does the prescription reach the pharmacy?

The paper original must be at the pharmacy

According to the Association of Cantonal Pharmacists (KAV), the white original and the pink copy of the official narcotics prescription 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; medical cannabis is listed in Verzeichnis a (KAV position paper 0025, sections 6.5.1 to 6.6).

This rule is a position of the cantonal enforcement authorities, not federal law; the leaflet of the Zug health directorate (1 September 2021) states the same rule. For ordinary prescriptions, the KAV accepts secure digital transmission, but not for narcotics prescriptions of Verzeichnisse a and d (KAV position paper 0025, sections 6.5.2 and 6.6).

The form is a numbered set of three parts. According to the KAV, the white original stays at the pharmacy, the pink copy is used for billing and the light blue copy stays with the physician (KAV position paper 0025). A barcode next to the prescription number lets the pharmacy check whether the form is valid or blocked (Swissmedic notice of 8 November 2017). Swissmedic publishes a list of blocked forms (lost or stolen).

How the original gets there

The original can reach the pharmacy in these ways (KAV position paper 0025):

• Handed over: the original is given to the patient.
• By post to the patient: the original is sent to the patient.
• By post to a pharmacy: with the patient's documented consent, the original goes directly to a pharmacy of the patient's choice. The consent is documented in writing and, as a rule, confirmed once a year.

The choice of pharmacy is yours

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. Prescribers must not influence this choice if they derive a material benefit from it (Art. 26 para. 2bis let. b and para. 3 HMG).

In our practice, if a prescription is issued, which happens only where medically indicated, our physician posts the original either to you or, with your documented consent, to the pharmacy you name. We have no contracts with any pharmacy, and we are a practice, not a pharmacy: we do not store, sell or send medicines. Our page pharmacies lists pharmacies that state on their own website that they dispense medical cannabis; it is a factual list, not a recommendation. More on the choice itself: choosing a pharmacy. The rules for sending medicines by post are a separate topic: postal delivery rules.