# Purchasing Insulin OTC in Switzerland

**URL:** <https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/purchasing-insulin-otc-in-switzerland/13189>\
**Category:** Insulin\
**Tags:** insulin\
**Created:** [September 24, 2022, 11:16am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/purchasing-insulin-otc-in-switzerland/13189 "2022-09-24T11:16:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![John58](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/john58/32/147_2.png) [@John58](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/John58)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2022, 11:16am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/purchasing-insulin-otc-in-switzerland/13189/1 "2022-09-24T11:16:56Z")

</div>

Stopped for a few days in Bern before the flights home. Tried a city pharmacy for insulin, to see if it would be worth buying some here. For Fiasp or Novolog they charge 50 francs per vial, about $45. And they want to see a prescription.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chris](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/chris/32/382_2.png) [@Chris](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Chris)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 6:35pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/purchasing-insulin-otc-in-switzerland/13189/2 "2022-09-26T18:35:11Z")

</div>

The price sounds correct, but surprised you needed a prescription. I think @Michel purchased insulin all over Europe and North Africa without issue. Good to know.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Boerenkool](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/boerenkool/32/6307_2.png) [@Boerenkool](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Boerenkool)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 8:45pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/purchasing-insulin-otc-in-switzerland/13189/3 "2022-09-26T20:45:54Z")

</div>

That surprises me, because you need a prescription where I live and I assumed that was the case everywhere in Europe. Apparently not. So always check before travelling if you plan to buy insulin in Europe.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Finn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/finn/32/10159_2.png) [@Finn](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Finn)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 7:16am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/purchasing-insulin-otc-in-switzerland/13189/4 "2022-09-27T07:16:08Z")

</div>

To add to this, I live in Germany and you can buy pens for €12-14 per pen, depending on if you buy a box of 10 pens or 5 pens.

This is the cash price - those with German insurance will pay €1.00-€1.50 per pen.

These prices seems to be fairly consistent for the different insulins I’ve bought - Abasaglar (Basaglar), Humalog, Humalog Junior or NovoRapid (Novolog).

I’m not sure if you can buy insulin OTC in Germany or if you need a prescription (Rezept) since I always have a prescription.

Also, if anyone wants to buy Glucagon in Germany, the kit shows as having a cash price of €17.50 on my last receipt. Again, I had a prescription (€5 with German insurance), so I’m not sure if you can buy OTC. When I last bought them, they had an expiry date just over 2 years away if kept in the fridge, or one year at room temp.