Challenges facing Switzerland’s medical technology industry following the 2021 changes to medical device legislation

Abstract

In order to improve the safety of medical devices, the European Union and Switzerland made significant changes to their respective medical device legislation, which went into effect on 26 May 2021. The same day, Switzerland lost its privileged access to the European market. These legislative and political changes have impacted not only medical device manufacturers but also patients. This article discusses the challenges to the supply of medical devices in Switzerland and outlines what is needed to overcome them.