Vapes as prescription-only medication starting Monday

The RACGP has given its support to legislation passed in the Senate on Wednesday 26 June, which cracks down on the sale of recreational vapes in Australia.
 
The Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024 restricts advertising, packaging and flavours for vapes.
 
Under the changes, people over 18 will be able to purchase plain packaged nicotine vapes from pharmacies from October, while those under 18 will need a GP prescription. Between July and October, patients will need a GP prescription to buy a vape, before they become Schedule 3 medications. 
 
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said GPs support stricter regulations on vaping.
 
‘Emerging evidence of the health impacts of nicotine vaping is alarming, including serious respiratory issues, throat irritation, headaches and nicotine overdose, which can cause a loss of consciousness,’ she said.
 
‘We need to do all we can to keep these products out of young hands. These reforms will help as they make retail sales illegal, as well as putting an end to lolly-like flavours and colours designed to attract children.’
 
The legislation passed through the Senate Community Affairs Committee with no changes, but objections from the crossbench led the Government to opt for the pharmacy route rather than solely through doctors’ prescriptions.
 
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia came out swinging against the changes, which gives pharmacists the job of counselling and screening customers.
 
The PSA put out a statement on 25 June against the proposed amendments to the Bill, despite previously welcoming the Queensland Scope of Practice Pilot, which includes prescribing for smoking cessation.
 
‘We cannot and do not support positioning pharmacists as retailers rather than health professionals,’ PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim said.
 
‘Pharmacists can and should be involved in harm minimisation and nicotine dependence management, but in the absence of a TGA-approved product, effective clinical governance framework and evidence-based clinical guidelines supporting their use, we cannot embed a therapeutic model of prescribing vapes.’
 
The Guild went a step further, releasing a press statement titled ‘Not Tobacconists or Garbologists’.
 
‘The Senate’s expectation that community pharmacies become vape retailers, and vape garbage collectors, is insulting,’ it reads.
 
‘Everyone wants to keep illegal vapes out of the hands of kids and teenagers, but the Senate wants pharmacists to stock vapes next to children’s Panadol, cold and flu medicine, and emergency contraception.’
 
The Guild’s Scope of Practice white paper also promotes smoking cessation programs already being utilised by pharmacists, with preparations in place in NSW, QLD and the NT for an expansion in services, which has left Dr Higgins questioning why pharmacists are so staunchly against the move.
 
‘Pharmacists have said that managing smoking cessation is part of their scope of practice and they already dispense vapes,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘Anyone over 18 who wants to buy a vape can only do so to help quit smoking and will need to talk to their pharmacist about their health and the options available to quit.
 
‘Pharmacy is happy to prescribe for UTIs, but not vapes? If they want to increase their scope of practice then it must be consistent.’
 
Although the ban on retail sales will come into effect on 1 July, vapes will not be downgraded and made available directly from pharmacies without a prescription until October.
 
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