Politics
Doctors and Pharmacists Keep Millions in Discounts on Medications
According to a report by the financial watchdog, millions remain with healthcare providers while most of the public pays exorbitant prices.
In recent years, doctors, hospitals, and pharmacists have collectively received 360 million Swiss francs in discounts from pharmaceutical companies that are intended for patients. This practice of negotiating reductions but not passing them on to health insurers is deemed problematic by the financial oversight body.
The Federal Office of Public Health (BAG), responsible for monitoring medication prices, has failed to conduct adequate controls. As a result, the population has paid over two billion francs too much for medications in the past six years, according to the financial oversight body.
The Swiss Federal Audit Office has now closely examined the situation regarding medication prices and found that only a fraction of the discounts offered by pharmaceutical companies on many medications reaches the premium payers. This issue remains a contentious point among stakeholders in the healthcare sector.