Medicines with a temporary listing
The temporary inclusion of medicines on the Specialties List enables highly promising medicines to be made available much sooner, while further data is being collected. Find out how long a commitment to provide cover for these medicines can be issued for and what points you need to note if the listing changes.
Medicines on the Specialties List (SL)
For a medicine to be definitively placed on the Specialties List (SL), it must satisfy three criteria: it must be effective, appropriate and cost-effective.
Temporary inclusion in the Specialties List
The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) can include a medicine in the SL for a limited period (Art. 33 para. 3 KVG).
This may happen, for example, if it is not yet possible for the FOPH to reach a definitive conclusion about satisfaction of the eligibility criteria when assessing a medicine for inclusion in the list. In particular, a medicine will be given a temporary listing if initial findings show that it promises to benefit patients, but further study results or price reviews are required for a sound assessment.
Commitment to provide cover for temporarily listed medicines
Several conditions (limitations) must be met for the medicine to be covered in the usual way under basic insurance.
If, at the end of the temporary period, the medicine is included in the SL either permanently or for another limited period, the validity of our commitment to provide cover will automatically be extended up to the date stated on the commitment to provide cover. You don’t have to do anything. The commitment to provide cover will only extend automatically if the limitation remains unchanged.
If the FOPH revises the listing, you will need to request a new commitment to provide cover.
FAQs
The commitment to provide cover is valid until the date stated on it, but only if the limitation does not change at the end of the temporary period.
Yes, if there is no change to the limitation and the medicine is obtained from your doctor or a pharmacy.
No, if the limitation has changed. In that case, a new commitment to provide cover is required regardless of whether the medicine is obtained from your doctor or a pharmacy.