Export of and trading in medicinal products that can be used to execute people, according to Art. 21 TPA

Medicinal products that can be used to execute people 

Medicinal products that could potentially be used to execute people require a licence issued by the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products for their export and for trading in other countries from Switzerland. The means used for executions include drugs or drug cocktails which, when injected, lead to the onset of death. The control of the international trade is designed to prevent products from being used abroad to administer the death penalty. 

Licences for export and trading in foreign countries 

Medicinal products that are subject to Art. Of the Medicinal Products Licensing Ordinance (MPLO) require a Swissmedic licence for their export from Switzerland and for trading in other countries. 

Any licence granted applies to a once-only export. 

The licence can be granted subject to confirmation that, following investigations, there is no evidence that the medicinal products in question will be used for executing people. Another prerequisite for the licence is the submission of a declaration by the recipient stating that the medicinal products will not be used by the recipient or by third parties for the purpose of executing people. 

Analytical standards are not subject to this licence requirement. 

For medicinal products containing controlled substances, an application for an export licence in accordance with Art. 5 of the Narcotics Act (NarcA) must also be submitted. 

Medicinal products intended for executing people may neither be exported nor traded in other countries from Switzerland.


according to Art. 21 para. 1 letter b Therapeutic Products Act (TPA)
(as of 1 January 2019)

Swissmedic
Division Narcotics
Hallerstrasse 7
3012 Berne
Switzerland
Tel +41 58 464 91 91
E-mail