Nicotine vaping prescriptions can only be provided if the patient fulfils the following RACGP smoking cessation criteria:
– People who have tried to achieve smoking cessation with approved pharmacotherapies but failed, and who are still motivated to quit smoking and have brought up e-cigarette usage with their healthcare practitioner;
– Patients should also be offered brief advice to quit smoking and referral to telephone call-back counselling services should be offered to all people who smoke
Nicotine vaping prescriptions can only be provided if the patient fulfils the following RACGP smoking cessation criteria:
-People who are motivated to quit smoking
-People who have tried and failed conventional smoking cessation therapies
Patients looking to use Nicotine vaping as an alternative therapy to assist in quitting smoking should understand
– no tested and approved e-cigarette products are available
– the long-term health effects of vaping are unknown
– possession of nicotine-containing e-liquid without a prescription is illegal
– in order to maximise possible benefit and minimise risk of harms, only short-term use is recommended
– dual use (i.e. with continued tobacco smoking) needs to be avoided.
If you are over 18 years old It is legal to vape in Australia to quit smoking if you have a prescription from a registered Australian medical practitioner. Nicotine can be imported from overseas under the TGA Personal Importation Scheme or accessed legally from an accredited online Australian pharmacy.
From 1 October 2021 you will no longer be able to legally buy nicotine vaping products, such as nicotine e-cigarettes, nicotine pods and liquid nicotine, from overseas websites without first getting a prescription.
State laws regulate issues such as sale of nicotine, use in public places, age limits on sale, display and promotion of vaporizers. Regulations are different between jurisdictions and may change from time to time.
There has been a significant increase in the use of nicotine vaping products by young people in Australia and in many other countries. There is evidence that nicotine vaping products act as a ‘gateway’ to smoking in youth and exposure to nicotine in adolescents may have long-term consequences for brain development.
The changes strike a balance between the need to prevent young people from taking up nicotine vaping products while allowing current smokers to access these products for smoking cessation on their doctor’s advice.
Call up our friendly reception staff to book in your appointment where our doctors will assess your eligibility for a nicotine vaping prescription. Once deemed eligible we will send your prescription to your email address.
Yes, with a doctor’s prescription. If you are using the Personal Importation Scheme, you can order a maximum of 3 months’ supply at one time and a maximum of 15 months supply in a 12 month period. The nicotine product must be for yourself or immediate family and you must not supply or sell the nicotine product to any other person.
If purchased from an overseas website, you should make sure the online retailer is reputable. We encourage you to make enquiries with the online retailer about the ingredients, labelling and packaging, and manufacturing standards of the products.
The Personal Scheme is a defined set of rules to regulate the import into Australia of therapeutic goods for personal use. Under the Scheme, individuals can import a 3 month supply of unapproved therapeutic goods without any approval being required that various conditions are met, such as:
1) The nicotine products must be for yourself or a member of your immediate family;
2) You must not supply, sell or give the nicotine products to any other person;
3) Where possible, you must keep the products in their original packaging with labels in tact;
4) The total quantity of the goods imported within a 12 month period must not exceed 15 months supply of the goods; and
5) You must have a valid prescription from an Australian-registered medical practitioner for the nicotine.
Monday to Friday:
9:00am to 5:00pm (Queensland Time)
In the spirit of reconciliation Chronic Doctors acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
