The Swiss Medicines Verification Organisation (SMVO) is committed to protect patients against counterfeit medicines. The affected associations of the Swiss health care system founded the SMVO on 4 April 2018.

Purpose of the association:

The following main tasks have been defined in the Articles of Association:

• Ensuring patient safety and health care system improvements by cooperation and participation of all affected stakeholders.
• Ensuring that the statutory provisions of the HMG, the implementation guidelines of the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/161 and the specifications provided by EMVO, are applied.
• Single point of contact for the authorities and contract partners of the EMVO.
• Responsibility for the SMVS strategy (design, controlling and risk management).
• Appoint the SMVS management.
• Definition of the SMVS operating cost allocation rules to invoice the affected MAHs.

The SMVO is the 100% shareholder of the NMVS Operating Company (SMVS Schweizerische Gesellschaft für die Verifizierung von Arzneinmittlen GmbH) which runs the database system.

The following associations are members of SMVO:

• ASSGP, Swiss Association for Self-Medication
• FMH, connection of Swiss Medical Doctors
• GRIP, Groupement Romand de l'industrie pharmaceutique
• GSASA, Swiss Association of Office and Hospital Pharmacists
• H +, The Swiss hospitals
• Intergenerika, Association of Generics Companies of Switzerland
• interpharma, the association of research-based pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland
• pharmalog, Swiss Pharma Logistics Association
• pharmasuisse, Swiss Pharmacy Association
• scienceindustries, Association of the Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industries
• SVKH, The Swiss Association for Complementary Medicinal Products
• vips, association of pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland