How To Become Licensed Pharmacists In Switzerland From India

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This article aims to help young pharmacists who are seeking an opportunity to become Pharmacists in Switzerland from India. Being a pharmacist demands a long & struggling academic life & later on a challenging professional experience.

Countries of South Asia like India, unfortunately, fail to pay back the pharmacist in the way they demand & deserve. So most of the time youngsters set their career goals to settle abroad in the countries which pay them in the way they deserve.

There are almost five countries that are highly ranked to pay the highest salary to pharmacists. This list is mentioned below:

  • United state
  • Switzerland
  • Canada
  • United kingdom
  • Germany 

Well, a detailed article is already written on the topic “ How to become a pharmacist in the USA” so by the sequence here we are elaborating on the steps & procedures for becoming a pharmacist in Switzerland.

Why choose Switzerland to be a Pharmacist?

Switzerland is supposed as a dream county for pharmacists due to the high scope & demand of pharmacy. Switzerland ranks second number among the countries that highly paid to pharmacists. For pharmacists, the average annual salary is $83,600, which is a dream salary for any professional field. 

Irrespective of salary a healthy environment for the working field is essential for mental development. In this regard, Switzerland offers an outclass life to its citizens & ranks on the top for the highly-rated quality of life.

The country take takes severe concerns about the health & well being of its citizens will never hesitate to make the quality of medicines best in all means. 

Pharmacist salary in Switzerland:

An overview of the pharmacist salary in Switzerland gives an idea about the high scope of pharmacy in Switzerland. It is a country that demand & pay pharmacist in the most satisfying manner. With time, demand for pharmacists seems to be increased in developing countries. 

Pharmacists working in Switzerland typically earn annually around 160,000 CHF. This annual salary for pharmacists ranges between  78,400 CHF ( lowest ) to 250,000 CHF (highest) annually.

Moreover, it includes residency or housing, transport & several other benefits too. The salary distribution of pharmacists in Switzerland can be more apparent by the following list:

  • Almost 100% of everyone earns 250,000 CHF or some less.
  • 75& of employees make 210,000 CHF or less.
  • 50% of employees make 163,000 CHF or less.
  • 25% of employees earn less than 109,000.

Demand to work in Switzerland:

1. Recognition of qualifications:

Pharmacy is a field that faces many restrictions & legal issues. The reason behind these restrictions is the critical handling of medicines. Developed countries fully understand that medicine prescription, manufacturing, formulation, dispensing & storage is not a piece of cake.

The therapeutic effects of drugs vary according to the climate & weather conditions of a particular country. The medicine that is stable at room temperature of India may be deteriorating at room temperature of Switzerland.

The same example can be quoted for its therapeutic effect that there is a possibility that medicine that sold without prescription in India may be excluded from “Over the counter medicine” in Switzerland. 

The institutes & authorities in Switzerland that are responsible for the recognition of foreign qualifications vary accordingly. It depends on the type of concerned occupation & profession.

It should be noted that “ it is a compulsory requirement for foreign qualifications to be recognized by the national authorities & institute of the country “.

As a pharmacist, your degree needs to be known as there are legal restrictions for regulated professions & occupations & pharmacy is among one of the regulated professions.

2. Registration & License :

All health care professional needs to get registered & obtain their license to work in Switzerland. The same criteria are followed for pharmacists. For registration, pharmacists need to qualify for the exam that is conducted by a professional board in Switzerland. For automatic recognition, the system present in Switzerland is based on three types of directives. 

  • Sector directive.
  • General directive.
  • Transitional directive.

If this automatic recognition fails then the applicant must have to apply for authorization with the following documents that need to be translated into the national language of Switzerland.

  • Application form.
  • Copy of passport.
  • Copy of ID card.
  • Health certificate.
  • Character reference.
  • Certificate of good conduct.
  • Proof of solvency.

3. Language course :

In Switzerland, German, French & Italian are the most common languages that are being spoken; however, all the medical transcriptions in Switzerland are in french language.

An Indian pharmacist with his pharm D degree is unable to work there without learning the French language. A language course is a mandatory step to continue as a career as a pharmacist in Switzerland.

It is recommended to start this language course before applying for recognition & authorization by swiss regulatory bodies & authorities.

Bottom line:

Switzerland is a very prosperous country in terms of the pharmacy profession with a bright future & career. Still, side by side, it openly challenges an individual to have enough courage to switch off his native country.

Living abroad is not an easy & affordable task for everyone. Young pharmacists can plan their future with the fire of passion in the heart as before it will pay higher demand high too. Seeking a scholarship is yet another option for passionate pharmacists. 

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