Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

HEALTH

Switzerland to ban alcohol at stadium events

From October 1st, Switzerland will again allow events with more than 1,000 people. In order to minimise the potential for infections, Swiss authorities are seeking to ban alcohol from venues.

Published: 1 September 2020 17:38 CEST

Switzerland to ban alcohol at stadium events

Swiss fans enjoy a beverage. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Note: At a meeting on Wednesday, September 2nd, Switzerland's Federal Council rejected the ban on alcohol at large events. This is covered here.

Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset is set to introduce a ban on alcohol at stadiums when they are again allowed to host events with more than 1,000 people from October onwards.

The ban will only apply to sporting events at stadiums and will not apply to concerts and music events.

Swiss tabloid Blick reported on Tuesday that Berset is seeking to have the ban approved when the government meets on Wednesday, September 2nd.

The tabloid reports that several cantons have asked Berset to push through the ban, mirroring that in place for international sporting events where alcohol cannot be served.

‘German speakers half as likely to wear masks': Pandemic highlights Switzerland's cultural divide

While the proposal has the support of mainstream parties, it is opposed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) who say it is a “strange idea”.

“We firmly reject an alcohol ban in stadiums” said SVP parliamentary group leader Thomas Aeschi to Blick.

Berset says that the ban would only remain in place for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, i.e. it would not become a permanent fixture in Swiss sport going forward.

In addition to the alcohol ban, only seats would be available for games – i.e. no standing terraces – while outdoor stadiums could only be filled to two-thirds of overall capacity.

Indoor stadiums are capped at half capacity under the plan.

Masks are mandatory under the plan, while the stadiums will be divided into 100-strong sectors to enable contact tracing in the event of an outbreak.

All attendees will be required to provide contact details.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

What to know about getting medicine and prescriptions in Switzerland

What can I get over-the-counter (OTC) without a prescription?

Herbal remedies, supplements, and medicines such as lower-dose painkillers are all available without a prescription. You can buy some natural remedies and supplements in supermarkets and drug stores.

Unlike countries such as the UK where certain non-prescription drugs are available in various shops such as supermarkets, in Switzerland they are only stocked in pharmacies known as Apotheken, Pharmacy, or Farmacia – depending on the linguistic region. That means you have to go to a Swiss pharmacy to get things like painkillers, cough mixture or similar products.

Pharmacies can offer advice or a short consultation on treatment for non-serious ailments.

You have to pay the full price for OTC medicines, they are not covered by your health insurance.

How do you get a prescription?

If you need stronger drugs than those available over the counter, then you will need to visit a doctor (for example a GP or specialist). They can then fill a prescription slip out for you. This applies to items like antibiotics and high dosage painkillers, or drugs for more serious conditions like depression.

Where can I get my medicine?

You can head to a pharmacy and give them the slip that your doctor filled out. They will then be able to give you – or order – your medicine.

It is best to register with a pharmacy in your town, rather than go from one to another each time you need to fill a prescription. Your pharmacy will keep all your prescriptions on file and keep track of all your meds and re-fills.

Some GPs in Switzerland also have their own smaller pharmacies in their practice. This is particularly common in small towns and villages. You usually have to be registered with the doctor to use this kind of pharmacy.

A selection of tablets. Photo: Michal Jarmoluk/Pixabay

Who pays for prescriptions?

In Switzerland, the cost of prescription medicines is generally shared between you and your health insurance provider. The insurance will typically pay 90 percent and you will pay the remainder, unless your doctor orders a brand drug where a generic alternative is available – in that case, you will have to pay 20 percent of the cost.

Your health insurance policy will require you to pay a set amount before your insurance covers the rest. So if you have a deductible of 300 francs, you’d generally pay that and the rest would be covered by your health insurance provider. However, that pertains not only to drugs, but also to all your other medical costs — in other words, the deductible you chose — which varies from 300 to 2,500 francs, depending on the amount you chose when you took out your policy.

READ ALSO: Which Swiss health insurance deductible makes most sense?

Generally, your health insurance provider will be billed directly by the pharmacy after you give your details. Your provider will then send a bill for you to pay your portion of the bill. However, some carriers require patients to pay and send the bill to the insurance for reimbursement.

Keep in mind, too, that after you use up your deductible, you will still be responsible for the co-insurance costs – the money you pay out of pocket towards health insurance costs – 10 percent in total.

However the co-insurance is capped at 700 francs a year, meaning that even if you have frequent, and costly, medical procedures, or take expensive meds, you will not be charged the 10-percent co-pay after you reach the 700-franc mark.

How much does medicine generally cost in Switzerland?

According to research, people in Switzerland pay significantly more than those in neighbouring European countries for medicines.

Earlier this year, the umbrella association for Swiss health insurance providers, SantéSuisse, told Swiss news site 20 Minuten, that insurers and people in Switzerland now spend around 9 billion francs a year on prescriptions and other medication.

The organisation said that around 25 percent of the cost of basic health insurance goes into funding the purchase of essential medicines.

SantéSuisse said the main drivers of increasing healthcare premiums are rising medicine prises and nursing services in care homes.

“In Switzerland, we pay far too much for medicines compared to abroad,” said SantéSuisse spokesman Matthias Müller.

READ ALSO: What medicines you could struggle to find in Switzerland

He added that the cost of patented drugs are an average of 9 percent more expensive in Switzerland than in the rest of Europe. Meanwhile, for other medication, people in Switzerland have to pay double, according to the research.

The newspaper looked at a comparison of Swiss and German prices for medication.

For Paracetamol, a 500 milligrams, 20 tablet box cost on average €2.24 in a German pharmacy, and 2.40 francs in a Swiss pharmacy – a surcharge of seven percent in Switzerland.

In another example, Ibuprofen (400 milligrams, 20 tablets), cost €3.45 in Germany and 5.90 francs in Switzerland, a surcharge of 71 percent.

A box of pantoprazole (a drug used to treat gastric reflux) is 12.95 francs in Switzerland compared to around 2.62 euros in Germany – a markup of 394 percent.

The association of pharmacists, PharmaSuisse, told 20 Minuten that it was not overcharging customers for items. It said that 60 percent of their medicines are sold at a near-loss after things like salaries and logistic costs are taken into the picture.

Can foreign prescriptions be used in Switzerland?

Pharmacies will only accept prescriptions issued by doctors in Switzerland. So if you’re new to Switzerland, make sure to register with a local GP and talk to them if you need access to medicine that’s only available on prescription.

Can you import medicines to Switzerland?

According to Switzerland’s drug regulatory agency, Swissmedic, people “may import a month’s supply of medicines into Switzerland for their own use but not for third parties”.

This rule is for both residents and tourists. This means that you are only allowed to bring medications you will use yourself, (prescribed and not) and not sell them to others.

READ ALSO: Are there rules about bringing medicines to Switzerland?

Url copied to clipboard!