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HEALTH

How restaurants could reopen by March 1st in Switzerland

Federal authorities have ruled out opening restaurants before April 1st, but if a new coalition of disgruntled cantons has its way, the Swiss could be dining in by the start of March.

How restaurants could reopen by March 1st in Switzerland
Could restaurants open again in March in Switzerland? Photo: Ina FASSBENDER / AFP

Please note: Switzerland announced Wednesday that shops, museums and zoos can reopen from March 1, while restaurants can open from March 22nd. Click here for more information. 

Although the Federal Council ordered restaurants to remain closed until April 1st at the earliest, several cantons are pushing to allow their restaurants to resume business earlier.

Several cantons have expressed a desire to re-open in March, including Geneva, Vaud, Graubünden, St. Gallen, Ticino, Thurgau, Lucerne, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Nidwalden, Uri and Obwalden. 

EXPLAINED: What are Switzerland’s new ‘relaxed’ coronavirus measures? 

In addition to the efforts at cantonal level, a concerted push by a group of right-wing and centre-right Swiss political parties could see opening dates brought forward in Switzerland. 

A new set of negotiations is now taking place, with a decision to be made on February 24th which could see the Swiss return to restaurants sooner rather than later. 

Here’s what you need to know.

Cantons revolt in push for March openings

Immediately after Swiss health authorities announced hospitality venues would remain closed until at least April, a group of cantons gathered to express their dissatisfaction with the decision – and to push for an earlier opening of hospitality venues. 

Last week authorities in Vaud announced their wish to reopen their gastronomy sector from March 15th for lunch service and close at 6pm, at which time only take-away service would be allowed, Switzerland’s NZZ newspaper reports

St Gallen, Thurgau, Lucerne and Ticino are agitating for restaurants with terraces to be allowed to open from March 1st. 

Schwyz authorities have called for both the inside and outside of restaurants and bars to be open on the same day. 

Uri, Glarus, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden have also called for restaurants to be open in the first week of March, with the latter saying people should only be allowed to attend with evidence of a negative test. 

This scheme matches that being implemented in neighbouring Austria for hairdressers, cosmetic services and tattoo parlours. 

Others such as Zurich and Bern seem open to the idea but have not expressed a defined position on the matter. 

Indeed, as at February 24th, only Aargau has indicated it supports the federal government’s plan. 

The Federal Council is scheduled to discuss the issue with cantonal governments on February 24th, but Health Minister Alain Berset already said that early re-openings would not be a good idea.

Berset recalled that last fall restaurants were open in some cantons while closed in others, resulting in people traveling from one canton to another for the purpose of dining out.  

Another revolt – this time at a federal level

While cantonal opposition to federal measures is nothing new, the government is also facing a challenge at a federal level. 

A coalition made up of the Swiss People’s Party, Free Democratic Party and Die Mitte is seeking to wrest control from the federal government in pushing for opening of restaurants – along with bars, cultural facilities, sporting facilities and events – from March 22nd, the first day of Spring. 

Switzerland’s NZZ newspaper reports that the right-wing and centre-right coalition appears to have the numbers to gain control of the National Council’s Health Commission – a key decision-making body with power to decide on lockdowns. 

The NZZ reports that if the power grab is successful, bars and restaurants may be allowed to open as early as February 25th – one day after the meeting between federal and cantonal authorities – although such an outcome is unlikely, with the Federal Council likely to use its emergency powers to prevent it. 

The more likely outcome is that the coalition push for a nationwide opening on March 22nd. 

Member comments

  1. They should get the vaccinations going…what is the lag in getting this done then there would not be such a question about opening restaurant! Do the not have any vaccines here….we are not a 3rd world country.

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HEALTH

Can you avoid high costs of medication in Switzerland by getting drugs abroad?

Most drugs, including generics, are quite a bit cheaper in other countries. But can you have your Swiss prescription filled abroad and bring the meds back?

Can you avoid high costs of medication in Switzerland by getting drugs abroad?

Not only are medicines more expensive in Switzerland than in many European countries, but their price continues to climb.

For original meds whose patents have expired, Swiss consumers now pay 14.3 percent more than patients abroad.

A year ago, the price difference was 10.8 percent, according to the health insurance association Santésuisse and the group for research-based pharmaceutical companies Interpharma . 

As has been the case for years, the price differences are particularly significant not only for brand drugs, but also for generics and biosimilars.

In a comparison with Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Sweden, the price of generics in Switzerland is 45.3 percent higher, while bio-similars cost nearly 30 percent more.

How is the price of drugs determined in Switzerland?

“The price of medicines covered by statutory basic medical insurance is not set on the open market but through complex state interventions,” according to Interpharma.

The prices of drugs that are reimbursed by the basic insurance are controlled by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

In order to determine the price of a medicinal product, the FOPH first considers the cost of therapy with products authorised to treat the same disease.

It then compares the prices of the same products in other countries with a pharmaceutical industry that is economically comparable to that of Switzerland’s.

The final price of drugs reflects Switzerland’s high-cost economy in general: research and development are more expensive in Switzerland than elsewhere, and production costs are higher as well.

Increasing healthcare premiums are an important factor as well.

And prices are set to increase even further. 

FOPH is adapting a new model for calculating the distribution margin. 

A distribution margin is the difference between the distributor’s cost of acquiring goods and the price at which those goods are sold.

From July 1st, 2024, inexpensive medicines whose factory price is less than, or equal to, 15 francs will become more expensive.

This change will affect more than half of medications currently being sold in Switzerland.

As a result of this move, “additional costs of several hundred million will be passed on to patients,” according to Intergenrika, which represents generic drug manufacturers in Switzerland. 

How much cheaper are medicines in neighbour countries?

Swiss-German news platform 20 Minuten compared the prices of some common drugs in Switzerland and Germany. 

For instance, painkiller Ibuprofen (400 milligrams, 20 tablets), costs €3.45 in Germany and 5.90 francs in Switzerland — a surcharge of 71 percent. 

A box of pantoprazole (a popular 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.

Similar price disparities also exist between Swiss drugs and those sold in France and Italy.

Can you import medicines to Switzerland to save money?

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, and not sell them to others.

What about prescription medications?

While doctor’s orders issued within the European Union are valid throughout the EU, Switzerland is not covered by the agreement on recognition of cross-border prescriptions.

Therefore, pharmacists in neighbour countries — or elsewhere within the EU, for that matter — are not obliged to accept prescriptions from Switzerland.

You will have better luck in the UK, however,

From January 1st, 2021, a prescription issued in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein Norway or Switzerland can be dispensed in the UK if the prescriber is from a medical profession recognised in Britain.

Keep in mind, however, that names of drugs may be different there, so your doctor should write out the prescription accordingly.

Yes, but will your Swiss health insurance pay for the medicines you purchased abroad?

According to FOPH, “the costs will only be reimbursed for medicines that you require because of illness during a temporary stay abroad.”
 
If, on the other hand, you bring in meds for use while in Switzerland, then you must pay for them out of your own pocket.

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