Unauthorized advertising for prescription-only medication
The SRF youth TV program "Virus Voyage" filmed a 20-year-old being injected with the active ingredient botulinum toxin by a beauty doctor to treat wrinkles. However, the broadcaster used the brand name "Botox".
The therapeutic products control authority Swissmedic intervened. Swissmedic spokesperson Lukas Jaggi confirmed a report in Blick on Thursday that the authority is "examining measures". The Therapeutic Products Act prohibits advertising to the public for prescription-only medicines. The mention of Botox in the program was therefore not permitted. Jaggi said that the infringement was probably not deliberate. The producers of the youth program - in contrast to science editors - were simply not sensitized enough to the topic.
The case is being investigated internally by SRF because the broadcaster paid for the cosmetic treatment. Such a payment is not permitted under SRF's journalistic guidelines, said SRF spokesperson Jonathan Engmann. However, SRF is fundamentally behind the portrait and the series, which is about presenting extraordinary people. (SDA)
