During the pandemic, doctors’ practices, pharmacies, hospitals, retirement and care homes, socio-medical institutions and the test centres operated by the cantons or on their behalf played a key role in combating the coronavirus. COVID Ordinance 3 allowed these institutions to carry out individual patient rapid antigen tests to directly detect SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2 rapid tests for professional use) without these facilities being required to hold a corresponding laboratory licence from Swissmedic, provided they were authorised to do so and monitored by the canton (Art. 24 and Art. 24d, COVID Ordinance 3).
Since the validity of COVID Ordinance 3 ended on 30 June 2024, the use of rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 for professional use is no longer permitted outside the laboratories authorised by Swissmedic (see Art.16 para.1 Epidemics Act).