Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines

The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The consumer price study compared the cost of 20 patent-expired and top-selling active ingredients sold in Swiss pharmacies with 15 other countries. + Is there an answer to Switzerland's spiralling healthcare costs? Original medicines with expired patents cost on average only 62% of the Swiss price in other countries, price watchdog Stefan Meierhans reported in his newsletter on Tuesday. The cheapest generic drug was available abroad for 39% of the Swiss price, i.e. 61% cheaper. Even in the most expensive comparison country, Spain, the cheapest generic drug cost 27% less. In the United Kingdom, the average price was only 16% of the Swiss price. Meierhans concludes from this year's price comparison and "the significantly inflated prices" that there is still ...