How long is a narcotics prescription valid?

Valid for one month

A narcotics prescription (Betäubungsmittelrezept) is valid for one month (Art. 47 para. 2 BetmKV). The ordinance itself contains no exception to this.

For prescriptions covering a longer treatment period, the official sources differ. The Association of Cantonal Pharmacists (KAV) in its position paper 0025 and the leaflet of the Zug health directorate (1 September 2021) state that a prescription for three months is valid for at most three months from the date of issue. The leaflet of the Zurich cantonal medicines control (July 2023) states that a narcotics prescription is in principle valid for at most one month from issue.

Quantity: one month, up to three months if justified

The quantity prescribed must not exceed the need for one month of treatment. If the circumstances justify it, a quantity for at most three months may be prescribed; the physician must then state the exact duration of the ongoing treatment on the prescription (Art. 47 para. 3 BetmKV). According to the KAV, the justification should be documented in the medical record (KAV position paper 0025). For comparison, simple prescriptions for substances of Verzeichnisse b and c may cover up to six months (Art. 48 BetmKV).

Repeat dispensing

Unless the prescribing physician notes otherwise, repeat dispensing of medicines with controlled substances of Verzeichnisse a and d is not permitted (Art. 51 para. 3 BetmKV). According to the KAV, partial quantities may be dispensed more than once, as long as this stays within the prescription and its treatment period of one month or at most three months (KAV position paper 0025).

What the form contains

The narcotics prescription is an official, numbered form. Among other things, it must state:

• the name, address, signature and stamp of the prescribing physician
• the patient's surname, first name, date of birth and address
• the date of issue
• the name of the medicine and its pharmaceutical form
• the quantity and the directions for use

The prescribing physician signs the prescription, and a copy is kept in the patient's medical record (Art. 47 para. 1 and 4 BetmKV).

Swissmedic supplies the forms to the cantons, which pass them on to physicians entitled to prescribe (Art. 47 para. 5 BetmKV). The forms used since November 2017 are trilingual A5 sets of three parts, numbered consecutively, with a barcode next to the prescription number so that pharmacies can check whether a form is valid or blocked. At most two narcotic-containing medicines may be prescribed per form (Swissmedic notice of 8 November 2017). Swissmedic publishes a list of blocked forms. 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).