Swiss medication standard · eMediplan
What is eMediplan?
Switzerland's medication QR standard.
eMediplan is Switzerland's standardised electronic medication plan. It encodes a patient's complete medication regimen in the CHMED16A1 format as a QR code — printed on the medication plan or directly on the prescription. Meditag reads CHMED16A1 codes and turns them into structured daily reminders.
The standard
What is CHMED16A1?
CHMED16A1 — the format
CHMED16A1 is the current Swiss eMediplan QR format. The prefix identifies it: CH (Switzerland), MED (medication plan), 16 (introduced 2016), A1 (version). It is the production format used by Swiss EHR systems, pharmacy software, and hospital discharge systems.
What it contains
Each eMediplan QR code encodes: patient name and date of birth, medication list (GTIN or Pharmacode identifiers), per-dose quantities for morning / midday / evening / night slots, dosing frequency and duration, indication text, and prescriber information — all compressed and base64-encoded.
Who maintains the standard
The eMediplan standard is maintained by IG eMediplan, a Swiss interest group bringing together healthcare IT vendors, hospitals, pharmacies, and physician organisations. It is widely supported by Swiss practice software including Axon, Vitodata, Medelexis, and HCI Solutions.
How it works
From doctor's software
to patient's phone.
Doctor generates the QR code
The GP or specialist exports the patient's current medication list from their practice software (Axon, Vitodata, Medelexis, etc.) as a CHMED16A1 QR code — printed on the medication plan or directly on the prescription. Many pharmacies also print the code on the prescription.
Patient scans with a compatible app
The patient scans the QR code — from the medication plan or the prescription — with a CHMED16A1-compatible app such as Meditag. The full medication list is imported instantly — no manual entry, no transcription errors.
App sets up reminders and tracks adherence
Meditag converts the imported plan into meal-timed reminders and records each dose taken or skipped. The patient can generate a 7-day PDF adherence report for their next appointment.
Common questions
eMediplan explained.
Which Swiss apps read eMediplan QR codes?
Meditag reads CHMED16A1 QR codes and converts them into meal-timed medication reminders on Android (iOS coming soon). It is free, requires no account, and stores all health data locally on the patient's device. The official eMediplan viewer from IG eMediplan also reads the format.
Where do I find the QR code?
The CHMED16A1 QR code appears on two documents: on the medication plan (eMediplan) printed by your doctor or pharmacy, and directly on the prescription. If your doctor or pharmacist does not print a QR code, ask for one — all certified Swiss systems support the export.
Does my doctor's software support eMediplan?
Most Swiss practice management systems support eMediplan export: Axon, Vitodata, Medelexis, HCI Solutions, and SGAM Axon all generate CHMED16A1 QR codes. Ask your practice team to print or show the eMediplan QR code at your next appointment.
Is the eMediplan QR code the same as the European Health Data Space medication summary?
No. CHMED16A1 is a Swiss-specific format developed independently of EU standards. Switzerland is not yet part of the European Health Data Space (EHDS). The eMediplan format is specific to the Swiss healthcare system.
What happens to my medication data when I scan a QR code in Meditag?
All data stays on your phone. Meditag does not send your medication names, doses, or health records to any server. The app stores everything locally on your device. If you enable cloud backup, the data is encrypted on your device before upload — Meditag cannot read the content.
Use Meditag
Turn your eMediplan QR code
into daily reminders — free.
Meditag reads the CHMED16A1 code from your prescription or medication plan and sets up meal-timed reminders automatically. 7-day PDF adherence report. Caregiver portal for Spitex and home care. Free for Android — iOS coming soon.