Dispensing Categories for Medicinal Products in Switzerland
The dispensing category decides who may sell a medicinal product and whether a prescription is required. Since the 2019 revision there have been four categories: A, B, D and E. The former category C was abolished and its products distributed between B and D.
What dispensing categories exist?
Four: A and B are prescription-only, D and E are not. Category A requires a single prescription, B a prescription that can be refilled. Category D is dispensed after professional advice in pharmacies and drugstores, category E without professional advice at any point of sale.
| Category | Prescription | Point of dispensing | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | single prescription | Pharmacy | Narcotic-containing analgesics, reserve antibiotics |
| B | prescription, refillable | Pharmacy | Antihypertensives, statins, antibiotics |
| D | none, but professional advice | Pharmacy, drugstore | Analgesics in small packs, antihistamines |
| E | none | any point of sale | Active-substance lozenges, certain herbal preparations |
| C (abolished) | none, dispensed in pharmacies | historically pharmacy | reassigned to B or D in 2019 |
The category is set in the authorisation decision and appears on the pack and in the medicinal product information. It can be changed on request or by the authority of its own motion, for example on a switch from B to D.
Who may dispense which category?
Pharmacies may dispense every category. Drugstores may dispense D and E. Other points of sale such as retail shops and petrol station kiosks may dispense only E. For category B, a pharmacist can dispense without a prescription in the cases covered by Art. 45 TPO, provided the dispensing is documented.
- Pharmacy: A, B, D and E, plus B without a prescription in the cases covered by Art. 45 TPO.
- Drugstore: D and E.
- Other retail: E only.
- Doctor's surgery with self-dispensing: under cantonal law, where permitted.
- Hospital: dispensing as part of treatment, regulated cantonally.
How is a category changed?
A move from B to D, known as a switch, is a variation application requiring assessment. It needs data on the safety of self-medication, patient information understandable by laypeople, a pack size suited to self-treatment, and arguments for distinguishing warning symptoms.
All guides in this hub
5 guides
- Featured3 min
Dispensing Category A: Medicinal Products on Single Prescription
Category A medicinal products may only be dispensed against a single medical or veterinary prescription. A refill needs a new prescription. The category applies to active substances with a high risk of abuse, dependence or safety, and requires complete documentation of the dispensing.
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Dispensing Category B: Prescription-Only Medicinal Products
Category B is the largest prescription-only category. It is dispensed in pharmacies against a prescription that can be refilled if the prescriber authorises it. In the cases covered by Art. 45 TPO, a pharmacist may dispense without a prescription if they advise the patient and document the dispensing.
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Dispensing Category C: Abolished and Reassigned
Category C covered over-the-counter medicinal products that could only be dispensed in pharmacies. It was abolished with the 2019 revision of therapeutic products law. Swissmedic reassigned the affected products individually to B or D; no over-the-counter, pharmacy-exclusive category exists any more.
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Dispensing Category D: Dispensing After Professional Advice
Category D medicinal products are over-the-counter and dispensed in pharmacies and drugstores after professional advice. They form the core of self-medication. Authorisation requires lay-accessible patient information, a pack size suited to self-treatment, and clear warning symptoms.
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Dispensing Category E: Dispensing Without Professional Advice
Category E medicinal products may be dispensed at any point of sale without professional advice, including general retail. The category is reserved for products with very low risk. Despite free dispensing, it remains a medicinal product subject to authorisation, pharmacovigilance and advertising rules.
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Frequently asked questions
Why was category C abolished?
The revision of therapeutic products law strengthened self-medication and simplified the system. Category C products needing professional advice were reassigned to D; higher-risk products went to B. Swissmedic carried out the reassignment product by product.
May I sell medicinal products online?
Mail order is only permitted with a cantonal licence and generally only against a medical prescription (Art. 27 TPA). Category E may be sent without a prescription; the cantonal operating requirements still apply.
What is Art. 45 TPO?
This provision allows pharmacists to dispense certain category B medicinal products without a prescription, provided they give personal professional advice and document the dispensing. The active substances covered are listed in an annex.
Does the category appear on the pack?
Yes. Prescription-only medicinal products carry an indication of the dispensing category; the exact labelling follows the rules for medicinal product information and pack design.
Does a foreign prescription status apply in Switzerland?
No. Swissmedic sets the dispensing category independently under Art. 40 et seq. TPO. A product can be over-the-counter in the EU and prescription-only in Switzerland, or the other way round.
Sources
- Fedlex SR 812.212.21 TPO, Art. 40 to 45
- Swissmedic: market surveillance
- Fedlex SR 812.21 TPA, Art. 23 to 27
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