Executive Summary

The Swiss Federal Council adopted measures on June 19, 2026, for the implementation of the Primary Care Agenda launched in 2024. A technical report developed with 80 stakeholders identified 18 measures to secure primary medical care. The Federal Council prioritized those measures falling under its leadership and focused on two areas of action: further development of care delivery models and promotion of junior physicians in primary care. Implementation begins in 2026 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2028.

People

Topics

  • Health policy
  • Shortage of skilled workers in healthcare
  • Promotion of junior physicians
  • General practitioner care
  • Interprofessional collaboration

Clarus Lead

The Swiss healthcare system faces structural pressure: an aging population increases demand for medical services, while simultaneously the shortage of skilled workers in primary care grows. The prioritization of Federal Council measures signals a strategic response to this care crisis and aims to make primary care future-proof through competency distribution and expansion of training. The measures address both the immediate relief of general practitioner practices and the long-term securing of junior physician recruitment.

Detailed Summary

The Primary Care Agenda relies on two complementary strategies. The first area of action expands care capacity through better utilization of non-physician specialists: the roles of medical practice assistants (MPA) are to be expanded to relieve physicians in general and pediatric practices. Simultaneously, medical and pharmaceutical care in nursing homes is being improved. Innovative approaches such as consultation services in pharmacies for acute health problems are intended to relieve general practitioner practices and provide citizens with more direct access to appropriate treatment.

The second area of action focuses on promotion of junior physicians and job satisfaction. The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SBFI) is currently examining how to increase the number of study places in human medicine. A parallel report on medical continuing education is intended to further develop the specializations of general internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry and psychotherapy, and child and adolescent psychiatry. The focus on working conditions aims to keep specialists in the profession longer.

Key Statements

  • The Federal Council prioritizes 18 measures to strengthen primary care, to be implemented by the end of 2028.
  • The emphasis is on competency distribution: non-physician specialists (MPA, pharmacists) are to relieve general practitioners.
  • Promotion of junior physicians through increased medical study places and optimization of medical continuing education in shortage specialties.

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence/Data Quality: Are the prioritizations based on quantified bottlenecks in specific regions or nationwide? What data on regional skilled worker shortages formed the basis of the technical report?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: How were conflicts of interest between medical associations (which might reject competency shifts) and non-physician specialists handled during the report's development?

  3. Causality/Alternatives: Why is increasing medical study places prioritized as a solution when training duration (6+ years) does not address immediate personnel shortages? Were alternative recruitment models (immigration of specialists) evaluated?

  4. Feasibility/Risks: How is it ensured that non-physician specialists (MPA, pharmacists) are actually upgraded when competency boundaries are anchored in laws and tariffs? What regulatory obstacles exist?

  5. Side Effects: Could the relief of general practitioner practices through pharmacy consultations lead to quality variance and fragmented patient care?

  6. Operationalization: How will the 80 participating stakeholders be coordinated in the implementation phase when different actors (cantons, associations, hospitals) assume leadership for individual measures?

Source References

Primary Source: Federal Council – Primary Care Agenda: Federal Council Prioritizes Measures – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/bLQ-COvus8LZ-Gglv84H2

Verification Status: ✓ 19.06.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: 19.06.2026