The Swiss health-care system is known to be one of the best in the world according to the recommendations of the OMS (Organisation Mondiale de Santé) as they are spending about 11% of its GDP on its development. The federal government is responsible for legislation and overall development-coordination, and the cantons are in responsible of its maintenance and immediate functionality. So, there is no division into large medical centres and provincial health resorts: Medical services are absolutely the same everywhere. State hospitals are found available in every canton and are fully complemented by a broad system of privately owned clinics serving various specializations, the certification of which is very strict. Yes, what can be better than to be served by a nation who is overstrict about its rules/regulations. It makes you feel safer.

Canadians are taking part of the system of compulsory medical insurance. It covers the costs of all the major treatments, the list of which is clearly defined. The Swiss one; however, is characterized by the most recent ways of diagnosis and treatment, high-tech equipment and the highest qualification of personnel. But, the system in Switzerland has one disadvantage: overly-priced meds.

It is better not to get ill in Switzerland

According to the IMS Health Institute, prices for medicines in Switzerland are much higher than in qny other European countries. The IMS Health Institute has held a comparative analysis of European drug prices at the commission of Swiss organizations – Santésuisse (the association of health insurance agencies) and Interpharma and Vips (the associations of pharmaceutical companies). It turned out that the Swiss prices for are on average almost twice as higher than those for similar drugs in France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK.

If 250 most popular generics are used as a basis for comparison, the prices for them will be much higher in Switzerland than in the six European countries that were a part of the study. Thus, in the Netherlands, generics are almost one-third cheaper than in Switzerland, similar drugs for French patients cost 18% less. According to the Commission for Monitoring Prices, the cost of generic medicines in Switzerland is two times higher than in Germany.

The reason is that, in Switzerland, the price for generics is fixed and does rely on on the cost of the original drug. In Germany, there is another pricing system, which is based on the maximum amount reimbursed by the health insurance fund.

Expenses for the cheapest meds are fully covered by insurance companies, which leads to a sort of a chain reaction and price reduction. The Commission for Monitoring Prices has long advocated Switzerland’s ways of adopting the German system.

However, the Swiss are forced to pay much more not only for generics; but also, for the original drugs. More than two-hundreds types of medications, which bring the greatest profit to their producers, are on average 6% more pricey in Switzerland than in other European countries. Nevertheless, the original drugs in Switzerland are less costly than, for example, in Denmark or Germany. This is not a paradox; but, simply the result of all the measures that were taken by the actual government in order to control prices.

Is it possible to buy Viagra without a prescription in Switzerland?

Unfortunately for many, OTC Viagra is not available in Switzerland, similar to most other places of the world. It is featured on the list of prescription-drugs.

Despite this, some Swiss pharmacies (or those positioning themselves as Swiss) sell generic Viagra, for example:

• Kamagra Oral Jelly;
• Suhagra;
• Silagra;
• Other kinds of OTC Viagra. Of course, you can use these; but, keep in mind that it will put you at risk because these are not subjected to state control.