Switzerland

Switzerland’s premium OTC and Prescription Drugs market

Switzerland has a strong and premium-priced OTC and Prescription Drugs market that is among the most important ones in Europe and is worth being considered if you’re looking to expand your business. 

Switzer­land is not an EU mem­ber state, but it remains one of Europe’s most impor­tant OTC and pharma mar­kets, as well as a major center for med­ical research for new prod­ucts. In 2020, the Swiss consumer health and pharma mar­ket was val­ued at  USD 6,3 billion and is expected to reach an ex-factory value of USD 9,4 in 2035, according to our CPC forecasts.

Given its comparatively small domestic market, Switzerland is flourishing in foreign trade. Healthcare exports account for 45% of Swiss exports, with exports worth 99.1 billion Swiss francs. 

Healthcare accounts for 9.2% of the country’s gross domes­tic spend­ing, which is one of the high­est lev­els in the world. There are approx­i­mately 1,800 phar­ma­cies reg­is­tered in Switzer­land and two-thirds of all medicine packs are bought in pharmacies, and in terms of value, these sales account for around 48% of total sales. 

The consumer health and pharma industry is a major contributor to quality of life and prosperity in Switzerland. The country provides an attractive operating environment for innovative companies. However, it is losing ground to other countries in terms of competitiveness. For this reason, Switzerland’s 2030 OTC and pharma industry strategy is centered on three focal areas: 

• Putting the focus on patients.
• Becoming a leader in research and development.
• Creating a strong economic-policy framework.

Contact the Chameleon Pharma Consulting Group to have more information about Market Entry, Regulatory topics, or GMP Certificates in Switzerland!