Overview
- Germany’s law, passed under Karl Lauterbach and in force since February 2025, allows certain chronically ill patients to renew prescriptions only once a year.
- Despite general support, there is still no agreement on the concrete procedures needed to implement the change.
- Health Minister Nina Warken called for a rapid, cost‑neutral rollout and warned she will consider supervisory steps if delays persist.
- The Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung describes the shift as a complex challenge and expects an agreement this spring.
- The GKV-Spitzenverband supports annual prescriptions as an additional option to spare some patients unnecessary trips and ease practice workload, and a health economist estimates a seven‑digit number of annual visits stem from the quarterly logic.