The amendment to the law governing the activities of physicians in general free practice, which came into force on 1st January 2007, has brought a large number of changes. The age limit has been abolished, partial licences to practice and the formation of professional communities covering more than one district are permitted and new employment possibilities for physicians have been created. With these new regulations, many traditional principles of this law have been fundamentally changed. The purpose of the amendment is to make the health service more flexible and increase competition among providers of medical services.