Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) recently announced it had reduced the price Swiss healthcare providers and patients will pay for 257 drugs by 16.3%.
![Swiss government cuts drug prices by 100 million francs](https://i0.wp.com/lenews.ch/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Drug-prices_©-Tero-Vesalainen-Dreamstime.com-1.jpg?fit=614%2C400&ssl=1)
These lower prices, which take affect on 1 December 2019, are expected to save CHF 100 million annually.
The FOPH looked at the prices of 478 drugs and achieved price reductions on 257 (54%) of them.
The government has promised to cut healthcare costs via a range of measures including improved negotiations with healthcare providers, reference prices for generic drugs and greater price transparency.
Swiss healthcare is expensive and most of it is paid directly by individuals (69%). Only the US has a more expensive healthcare system, according to Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office.
More on this:
Government press release (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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