Dispensing category (Switzerland)
The Swiss dispensing category (in German: "Abgabekategorie") regulates which kinds of drugs can be dispensed by the pharmacist, and whether a prescription is necessary. Swissmedic, the Swiss authority for approving drugs, classifies the drugs under the appropriate category. The categories themselves are defined by the Federal Office of Public Health, and are approved by the Federal Council. Categories. In justified cases, a pharmacist can dispense any drug without a prescription. This is the case, for example, when: Criteria for scheduling. Data from clinical testing, results of pharmacological research, decisions of other countries' pharmaceutical institutions as well as  recommendations from the European Medicines Association are pooled to assess the classification of a drug. Swissmedic only approves the final product (e.g. a specific formulation with a specific dosage), not the substance itself. Thus, the same substance can be classified in different categories. Generally, drugs are scheduled depending on their potential for abuse and health damage. Drugs containing new substances are usually scheduled under B for a limited time in order to assess the safety of the drug. Depending on the clinical experience, Swiss medic then reschedules the drug as A, B, D or E. Pharmaceutical companies can apply for  a lower scheduling in order to sell their products without prescription. Swissmedic can also reschedule the drug in a higher category when it becomes aware of safety risks. Hard criteria: Soft criteria: The scheduling criteria do not respect how often or how long a drug is taken. Therefore, there are prescription-free drugs which can cause substance withdrawal symptoms if improperly taken. Examples for this are codeine as cough syrup (class B, prescription exemption), many painkillers (class D, see medication overuse headache) and xylometazoline (D). On the other hand, most class B drugs are not known to have serious side -effects when taken once, at the usual age-specific dosage. An example for this are the corticosteroids, which are scheduled as B. Health insurance. Under the Swiss mandatory basic health insurance, only the costs for necessary drugs are reimbursed, with a 10% deductible. Because of this, doctors prescribe prescription-free drugs – as a proof of the drug's necessity. Without a prescription, drug purchases will not be reimbursed.