Key points
- From 1 October 2021 Australians will require a prescription to legally access nicotine e-cigarettes and nicotine vaping products for any purpose, including importing from overseas online retailers
- Nicotine vaping products are only available as ‘unapproved’ goods
- If considered the most clinically appropriate approach for smoking cessation, these products can be legally accessed with a valid prescription in three ways
Nicotine vaping products: practice implications of scheduling changes
From 1 October 2021 a prescription will be required for Australians to legally access nicotine vaping products for the purposes of smoking cessation, including importing from overseas online retailers. This regulatory change provides an opportunity for GPs to have conversations with patients about smoking cessation.
Pathways to prescribe
Nicotine vaping products are ‘unapproved’ therapeutic goods as they are not entered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. This information sheet outlines the established pathways for legal access to ‘unapproved’ nicotine vaping products, with a prescription.
Podcasts
Episode 28: Nicotine scheduling changes – Special episode #1
In this special edition of the NPS MedicineWise podcast about upcoming scheduling changes to nicotine vaping products, CEO Adj A/Prof Steve Morris talks with Adjunct Prof John Skerritt and Ms Jenny Francis from the Health Products Regulation Group (HPRG), including the Therapeutic Goods Administration at the Australian Government Department of Health. They discuss the new prescribing process for nicotine vaping products that is coming into effect from 1 October 2021, why the regulation is being changed, which products are being affected, and what prescribers need to do to prepare for this change.
This podcast was developed with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health.
Episode 29: Nicotine scheduling changes – Special episode #2
In this second special edition of the NPS MedicineWise podcast about upcoming scheduling changes to nicotine vaping products, medical adviser and GP Dr Jill Thistlethwaite talks with Adjunct Professor John Skerritt from the Health Products Regulation Group (HPRG), including the Therapeutic Goods Administration at the Australian Government Department of Health and Professor Nick Zwar, Executive Dean of the Health Sciences and Medicine Faculty at Bond University and Chair of The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Expert Advisory Group on smoking cessation clinical practice guidelines.
They provide a brief recap on the new prescribing process for nicotine vaping products that is coming into effect from 1 October 2021 and what GPs need to know about these changes. They also discuss the new standard for prescribing nicotine vaping products and the upcoming RACGP smoking cessation guideline update.
This podcast was developed with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health.