Switzerland

Methadone/Buprenorphine Treatment: available

If a foreign patient needs methadone or buprenorphine treatment in Switzerland his/her home prescriber/clinic is advised to contact the chief medical officer (Kantonsarzt) of the canton (federal state) of destination in order to receive the contact details of a registered methadone/buprenorphine prescribing doctor. The contact details of the cantonal chief medical officers plus further important contacts are also available via the search engine of Drogenindex
(languages: French, German and Italian).

Importation of Methadone/Buprenorphine: possible

According to § 40 of the Narcotics Act (“Verordnung über die Betäubungsmittel und die psychotropen Stoffe”) foreign patients are allowed to bring into Switzerland for personal use a quantity of methadone/buprenorphine sufficient for up to 30 days. They must carry with them a letter/note from their prescribing medical practitioner or clinic which clearly support their need for the medication, detailing identification data and stating the name, form, strength and dosage of the medication.

Contact Addresses:

Swissmedic,
Schweizerisches Heilmittelinstitut
Abteilung Betäubungsmittel
Erlachstrasse 8
CH-3000 Bern 9
Phone: ++41 (0)31 324 91 88
Fax: ++41 (0)31 323 88 40
Web:

www.swissmedic.ch/stup.asp

Treatment Centres:

Cantonal Chief
Medical Officers (Kantonsärzte)

Drop-in
Fausses-Brayes 5
2000 Neuchâtel
Switzerland
Phone : +41 32 7246010
Fax : +41 32 7299858
Email : info@drop-in.ch
Website: http://www.drop-in.ch
Person to contact: Dr. Pierre-Alain Porchet

The clinic must be informed before a patient’s arrival by phone, email, fax or letter by the patient’s home prescriber.
The information required is:
– full contact details of the prescribing doctor/clinic
– identity (patient’s personal data)
– treatment history
 – daily dose of methadone and period of continued methadone dosing.

On arrival the patient has to carry a letter from his doctor to present to the clinic staff.
The clinic demands daily attendance for methadone provision (no take-home doses!)
In case of violence or dealing on location patients may be expelled from treatment.

Any comments and
additional information greatly appreciated.
Please address all correspondence to:

Ralf Gerlach
INDRO e.V.
Bremer Platz 18-20
48155 Münster
Germany
Phone: ++49 (0)2571-582765 or ++49 (0)251-60123
Fax: +49 (0)251-666580
Email: INDROeV@t-online.de