Changing doctors during cannabis treatment in Switzerland: what to prepare

Changing doctor or facing a practice closure during medical cannabis treatment in Switzerland: organise records, prescription questions and responsibility for ongoing care.

Your doctor is retiring, you are moving home or the practice has unexpectedly stopped answering. Meanwhile, you have an ongoing prescription for a cannabis medicine. Arranging another appointment is only part of the task: who knows the treatment history, who will assess its continuation and what is agreed in the meantime? This guide helps organise an existing treatment handover without promising automatic prescription renewal or uninterrupted supply.

1. A planned change or an unexpected closure?

For a planned move, prepare the handover with your current practice. Ask for a treatment summary, how long the team will remain contactable and whether a covering clinician has been named. Establish whether another professional has actually been approached. An announcement about a successor does not yet mean that the successor has accepted you as a patient.

If the closure is sudden, check available notices and ask about cover, succession and who holds the medical records. If that remains unclear, the responsible cantonal health authority may help identify the appropriate contact. This does not guarantee an immediate consultation or prescription. Acute, severe symptoms require appropriate medical attention rather than waiting to collect every piece of paperwork.

2. Discuss possible acceptance before the appointment

Tell the prospective practice that you already have a prescribed cannabis treatment. Ask whether it accepts new patients, can assess this treatment and needs documents beforehand. An assessment appointment is not an agreement to continue exactly the same preparation or use. Ask which questions the first consultation is intended to resolve.

The new clinician needs to assess the history and current circumstances, including treatment goals, observed benefit, adverse effects, other medicines and potential risks. Longstanding use can still require a fresh clinical assessment. Stick to verifiable information; requesting a particular strain or prescription quantity is not a substitute for a medical rationale. A prepared record supports the discussion without determining its outcome in advance.

Find an appropriate prescribing practice

3. Put together a clear, relevant set of records

Collect relevant diagnoses and reports, previous treatment attempts, current prescriptions and a complete medicine list. For the cannabis medicine, include the exact preparation, formulation and THC and CBD strength with the units shown. Describe actual use and identify any differences from the previous plan. Leave uncertain details marked as unknown and clarify them with the practice or pharmacy rather than filling gaps by guesswork.

Include available pharmacy dispensing records where needed for coordination. They may help explain previous supplies but cannot replace a new clinical decision. A brief diary can add observations about symptoms and adverse effects. It does not prove effectiveness or authorise self-directed dose changes. Keep the date and origin of each document visible instead of silently merging conflicting medication lists.

Give each document a clear purpose

Document use and observations for the consultation

4. Request records and agree how to transfer them

In Switzerland, you can generally request access to your patient records and ask for them to be sent to a professional you designate. Specify the copies and reports needed for the handover. Receiving copies and having all original records deleted are different requests: documentation and retention obligations still apply. Public institutions may also be subject to particular cantonal requirements.

Clarify the recipient, scope and transmission method. Consent should be understandable; a prescription photograph posted in a community is not a suitable alternative. Ask the new practice to confirm that the documents arrived and can be read. A clinical record held electronically is not automatically the Swiss electronic patient record, or EPR. Do not assume that changing practice makes every document immediately available to the new team.

Share medical records confidentially

5. Check insurance arrangements and costs separately

Before another consultation, review the conditions of your insurance model. A designated first contact, particular network or referral may matter. A clinically sensible change of doctor does not itself establish which services your insurer will pay for. Resolve uncertainty with the insurer or prospective practice before the appointment where possible.

Separate consultation charges, possible investigations, administrative services and the medicine itself. Previous reimbursement or a fee charged by the old practice does not guarantee identical arrangements after the change. Ask whether an existing cost approval needs review or additional information. This guide offers no universal package price and promises neither a particular consultation fee nor reimbursement of a preparation.

6. Agree who can help during the interval

Note the next appointment and the remaining amount you can reliably identify, using the unit on the packaging. Explain an anticipated gap early. Ask the current practice or its named cover which plan applies until care is transferred. If neither is reachable, describe the actual circumstances to the prospective clinician and ask how to proceed. A general covering or emergency service is not automatically a commitment to continue a particular cannabis prescription.

The dispensing pharmacy can clarify existing prescription and supply records, check availability and, where needed, initiate contact with the relevant professionals. It does not replace an agreed clinical handover. Do not alter treatment yourself to make supplies last or obtain a substitute from friends. If a product shortage is also involved, raise that separately with the team. Agree who will reply, when and what to do if no response arrives.

Clarify the next repeat-prescription questions

Discuss an additional product shortage with the pharmacy

7. Finish with a current plan, not just a sent folder

After the assessment, request an understandable summary of what continues, what changes and which questions remain open. Establish who will assess future prescriptions and which pharmacy is involved. Two different medication plans should not simply be followed in parallel. Resolve conflicting instructions before the next uncertain treatment step.

Keep a short written record of responsibilities and expected responses. Confirmation that records were received does not automatically mean that treatment has been taken over. If the practice cannot accept the care, ask about the next assessment route rather than assuming an agreement already exists. The checklist and message below support organisation; they are not a prescription or an individual treatment decision.

• Confirm acceptance and the purpose of the new practice’s assessment.
• Gather relevant reports and current prescription details.
• Describe actual use and list all other medicines.
• Agree the recipient and suitable record-transfer method.
• Check the insurance model and possible charges.
• Explicitly identify a contact until the appointment.
• Obtain a clear current plan after assessment.

A first-contact message you can adapt

I currently receive a prescribed cannabis medicine and need to organise a change of doctor. Can your practice assess taking over my care, which documents would you like beforehand, and who can address treatment and prescription questions before the first appointment? I can provide the current plan and available dispensing details using your preferred channel.

Editorial review date: 3 November 2026. General information for adults with an existing prescription in Switzerland. Not individual medical or legal advice, or a guarantee of a prescription, appointment or reimbursement.