One in six Swiss plan to make savings on healthcare products

16% of the Swiss population intend to reduce their spending on healthcare products such as over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements or medical devices in 2026. These are the findings of a representative survey of 1046 people conducted by Yougov Switzerland from February 18 to 23, 2026.

Abandonment and generics as the most common cost-saving measures

Of the respondents who plan to make savings, 94% say they are likely to do without products that are not absolutely necessary. 80 percent plan to focus more on promotional products. 76 percent would probably buy cheaper generics in pharmacies or drugstores.

Buying comparable products in retail outlets such as Migros, Coop or Müller instead of in pharmacies or drugstores is mentioned by 68% as a likely measure. Buying cheaper products abroad is a possibility for 47%.

Differences by age group

The willingness to make savings decreases with increasing age: among 18 to 29-year-olds, 23% are planning reductions, i.e. almost one in four. In the 45 to 59 age group, the proportion is 13 percent, and only 9 percent of 60 to 79-year-olds.

Financial situation as background

At the beginning of the survey, 34% of respondents stated that their financial situation, after deducting fixed costs, had deteriorated compared to previous years. 49% reported no change and 17% an improvement.

«The data shows that a relevant proportion of the Swiss population is actively looking for ways to save on healthcare products. The focus here is on pragmatic measures such as avoiding non-essential products and switching to cheaper alternatives, for example by buying alternatives from retailers. Although a massive exodus from the specialist channel is not to be expected, there is nevertheless a creeping erosion by abandoning high-margin products, switching to generics and the aforementioned migration to alternative channels,» says Christian Rieder, Head of Health at Yougov Switzerland.

«The competitive pressure in specialist retail continues to increase. It is becoming increasingly important to precisely understand the target groups in the market and their motives in order to implement a solid brand strategy with valid data. This is precisely where our medic*scope product offers a decisive information advantage. medic*scope tracks who buys what on a quarterly basis and, above all, why, so that we can react to changes in the market at an early stage. In addition, medic*scope offers important key figures for category management, which are not only must-have KPIs for all followers of Byron Sharp («how brands grow»),» adds Rieder.

About the method

The data for this survey is based on online interviews with members of the Yougov Switzerland panel who agreed to participate in advance. For this survey, a total of 1046 people in Switzerland were interviewed between February 18 and 23, 2026 as part of an omnibus study by Yougov Switzerland. The surveys were split by age, gender and language region and the results were then weighted accordingly, including marginal weighting by household size and employment. The results are representative of the resident population in Switzerland aged between 15 and 79.