Alternative medicine is attracting an increasing number of Swiss citizens. After years of trial and error, they have been fully integrated into the health system and are now subject to heightened regulation. The goal is to make patients safer.

The administration of the canton of Lucerne, in central Switzerland, was working on a reform of the cantonal health law before the coronavirus outbreak. Health issues in Switzerland are handled by the 26 cantons, which can lead to inconsistency.

Lucerne introduced a new bill in early March 2020 with a single goal: to submit an application for authorisation to practice natural medicine practitioners such as homeopaths, Ayurvedic therapists, or traditional Chinese and European medicine.

“These actions may pose a threat to the general public’s health.” To practice, therapists must must apply for a license. “Alexander Duss of the Canton of Lucerne Department of Health told swissinfo.ch that the canton of Lucerne aims to guarantee that only persons who fulfill specific professional competency standards may practice.”

There was formerly such a requirement, but it was repealed by the canton of Lucerne in 2006. According to Hanspeter Vogler, chairman of the Canton of Lucerne’s Department of Health, there were too many different training programmes at the time for the authorities to evaluate the credentials of specialists. Due to the inability to ensure consistent quality across the business, Lucerne allowed patients to pick the therapist who best fit their needs.

Reimbursement

The situation changed in 2009. That year, two-thirds of Swiss voters chose to reinstate five alternative treatments in basic insurance: homeopathy, anthroposophic medicine, herbal medicine, neural therapy, and traditional Chinese medicine. They were admitted in 1999 but were kicked out in 2005 because to escalating health-care expenditures. The purported reason is because they failed to fulfill the efficiency, adequacy, and cost-effectiveness standards.

Following the Swiss people’s decision, the five drugs in question are temporarily covered by the basic insurance (which is mandatory for all Swiss citizens) on the condition that they be delivered by licensed doctors. As a result, they are reintegrated into the fundamental health care system. They can no longer be ignored by the authorities, since they once again comprise a portion of health-care expenses.

Standardized examinations for non-physician practitioners are implemented at the federal level. From 2015, therapists working in the domains of homeopathy, Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and European medicine will be able to receive a nationally recognized certificate.

“Standardization is usually beneficial, because complementary medications are reimbursed slowly by health insurance companies. They are also under financial strain,” says Franz Lutz, head of the Swiss Ayurveda umbrella group.

Following the introduction of the federal diploma, several cantons, including Lucerne, began requiring a license to practice. Therapists must submit their personal information as well as a copy of their federal diploma in order to receive a license to practice.

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