The prescription requirement for Thalidomide was finally introduced, but only in three federal states (North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg). The drug was still available without prescription in the other seven federal West-German states and West-Berlin.

Source: Chronology of events provided by Beate Kirk, in: Der Conterganfall: eine unvermeidbare Arzneimittelkatastrophe? Dissertation. Greifswald 1998.