Reclassification of veterinary medicinal products in dispensing category C: evaluation concluded

16.11.2018 

The government has decided to eliminate the current dispensing category C (pharmacy-only) and to liberalise the dispensing of medicinal products. This requirement also means that all veterinary medicinal products currently assigned to dispensing category C have had to be evaluated and reclassified. The evaluation focused on aspects relating to safe use, food safety and the classification of veterinary medicinal products in neighbouring countries. The re-evaluation of all the medicinal products in dispensing category C involved 22 veterinary medicinal products.

Results

The majority (64%) of the evaluated veterinary medicinal products in dispensing category C qualified for reallocation to dispensing category D. Allocation to dispensing category B is considered to be necessary for a minority of the veterinary medicinal products (36%): for veterinary medicinal products for livestock, this is due to aspects relating to food safety, while for veterinary medicinal products for pets, uncertainty regarding the safety of their active substances justifies their prescription-only status. 

Article 45 of the revised Therapeutic Products Ordinance (TPO, SR 812.212.21) entering into force on 1 January 2019, which allows pharmacists to dispense certain prescription-only medicinal products without a medical prescription, applies exclusively to human medicinal products. By implication, this means that veterinary medicinal products which will be reallocated from dispensing category C to dispensing category B when the revised therapeutic products legislation comes into force, may only be dispensed by pharmacists on presentation of a veterinary prescription.

Next steps

The actual reclassification of the medicinal products will take place in early 2019, once the revised Therapeutic Products Act has entered into force and in the course of normal administrative procedures. Information about the process was provided to the industry at information events and in published Q&A documents.