The CSS Institute is celebrating a major publication: the research paper “A Prescription for Knowledge: Patient Information and Generic Substitution” by Linn Hjalmarsson, Christian P.R. Schmid, and Nicolas Schreiner has been published in the renowned Journal of Public Economics. For the CSS Institute, this publication is a particular success, as the paper emerged entirely from internal collaboration.
The study examines how targeted information provided to buyers of brand-name drugs influences their switching behavior toward generics. The results are striking: a simple information letter from CSS led to the generic substitution rate among the contacted policyholders rising to almost four times its previous level. The study thus highlights the limits of health policy measures that rely solely on financial incentives, while at the same time demonstrating the potential of low-threshold information interventions. The findings of the research have also had political impact: in March 2025, the Swiss Parliament amended Art. 56a of the Swiss Health Insurance Act (KVG). From July 2026, health insurers will be allowed to provide targeted information to their policyholders on the basis of claims data, for example about the availability of lower-cost generics.
The published paper can be read and downloaded free of charge here from the Journal of Public Economics. A detailed summary is available here on our website.