Alternatives
HCI Documedis vs Drug Database — when API-first is the constraint.
HCI Solutions Documedis is the established Swiss medication and clinical-decision-support platform, deeply embedded in pharmacy and hospital systems. Drug Database is an API-first aggregator of public registers. Here is the honest side-by-side — including where Documedis is the better fit.
At a glance
Side-by-side, on the dimensions buyers actually compare.
Where a row is unfavourable to us, it says so. Documedis carries clinically curated content and certification depth we do not claim; Drug Database competes on price, developer experience, transparency and multi-jurisdiction coverage.
Drug Database aggregates public sources (Swissmedic, BAG-SL, AIPS, oddb, EPha, WHO ATC, …). We are not affiliated with or endorsed by HCI Solutions or those registers. Documedis pricing is indicative and varies by tenant and contract.
When to pick each
Honest scenarios — no winner-takes-all.
Pick HCI Documedis when…
- You need clinically curated, certified decision-support content as the product, not raw register data.
- You are buying an integrated platform for a pharmacy or hospital, with vendor support contracts.
- Deep incumbent integration with existing Swiss clinical software is a requirement.
Pick Drug Database when…
- You are a developer who wants a REST/GraphQL/MCP API and a key in minutes, not a tenant contract.
- You need transparent pricing and a free tier to prototype.
- You want multi-jurisdiction coverage, a diff change feed and FHIR output out of the box.
Use them together
- Keep Documedis for curated clinical decision support where certification matters.
- Use Drug Database as the data/identifier/lookup layer behind your own apps and integrations.
- Bridge identifiers (Pharmacode, GTIN, Swissmedic-No) with one lookup endpoint.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask before they switch.
Is Drug Database a replacement for HCI Documedis?
Not for clinically curated decision support. Documedis ships certified CDS content; Drug Database is an API-first aggregator of public registers (Swissmedic, BAG-SL, AIPS, oddb, EPha, WHO ATC). If you need raw, fresh, multi-jurisdiction drug data behind your own software, Drug Database fits; if you need a certified clinical platform, Documedis is the better choice.
How does pricing compare?
Documedis is licensed per tenant, typically in the region of CHF 8–15k per tenant per year on quote-based contracts. Drug Database publishes its tiers: a free Developer tier (100 req/day), Starter at CHF 99/mo, Growth at CHF 490/mo, and Enterprise from CHF 2.5k/mo. Exact Documedis figures depend on your contract.
Does Drug Database have the same Swiss data?
For the public registers, broadly yes: BAG-SL reimbursement, Swissmedic dispensing category, Pharmacode and ATC are all present on CH rows. What we do not replicate is Documedis’s proprietary, clinically curated decision-support content.
Are you affiliated with HCI Solutions?
No. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by HCI Solutions, Swissmedic, BAG or any other source. We aggregate publicly available register data and label where it comes from.
Try the data before you commit to a contract.
The free tier gives you 100 requests a day with no card. Point it at your real use case and see whether the coverage and freshness hold up.