Microbiological Laboratories

Pursuant to the Epidemics Act (EpidA, SR 818.101), facilities that perform or want to perform microbiological analyses for the purpose of detecting or excluding human transmissible diseases are required to hold an establishment license issued by the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products.

This applies to facilities that:

  • perform diagnostic and epidemiological analyses (patient diagnostics);
  • carry out microbiological analyses to rule out a disease that can be transmitted by blood, blood products or grafts (screening);
  • offer for the detection of a pathogen in environmental samples in association with B events (environmental analysis).

The requirements of the Ordinance on microbiology laboratories (SR 818.101.32) must be met in order to obtain a corresponding establishment license.

The establishment license as a microbiological laboratory is valid for a maximum of five years and the renewal application must be submitted no later than six months before the license expires.

Swissmedic periodically checks whether the licensed microbiological laboratories comply with the legal provisions.

The cantons of the operating sites are informed about the granting, renewal, suspension, restriction or withdrawal of establishment licenses, as well as about inspections.

24.08.2024

The following fact sheet summarises and explains the general provisions of the Ordinance on microbiological laboratories (SR 818.101.32; status as of 1 September 2023), which relate to in-house developed analysis procedures (in-house IVDs) or CE-marked analysis systems (CE-marked IVDs) modified by laboratories.


01.07.2024

The essentials in brief

  • This applies to those laboratories that perform microbiological analyses for the purpose of detecting or excluding human transmissible diseases.
  • The legislation stipulates a mandatory establishment license issued by Swissmedic for these laboratories.
  • When applying for the first time, a complete application with all enclosures must be submitted to Swissmedic.
  • Changes to the establishment license must be submitted to Swissmedic for approval using the official application forms.
  • The renewal of the establishment licenses must be submitted to Swissmedic six months before their expiry.
  • Forms are available on the Swissmedic website, as well as a guide to them.