Overview
- Health Minister Nina Warken proposes limiting prescriptions to in‑person doctor visits, ending issuance after video consultations.
- The draft would prohibit obtaining medical cannabis through online pharmacies, including cross‑border providers within the EU.
- SPD legal policy spokesperson Carmen Wegge argues the plan infringes physicians’ professional freedom and curbs patients’ choice.
- Wegge warns a shipping ban could breach EU freedoms of services and goods and calls for a solution that ensures supply security, equal treatment, and digital accessibility.
- Debate in the Bundestag is expected between the Union and SPD this year as Warken seeks passage, with the German Road Safety Council recently backing in‑person exams before prescriptions.