Pharmacist-only supply of nicotine vaping products: proposing an alternative regulatory model for Australia.
Tob Control
; 2024 Apr 10.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38599788
ABSTRACT
Regulation of nicotine vaping products (NVPs) is an ongoing challenge across the world. Australia currently has a globally unique NVP regulatory model that requires a medical prescription to purchase and use NVPs, with further restrictions in progress in response to evidence of widespread illicit NVP sales. Against this background, we examine the new measures and consider a modification of the model to pharmacist-only supply as an option for increasing access to NVPs for smoking cessation, while retaining health practitioner oversight of supply. We describe the strengths and challenges of implementing a pharmacist-only NVP supply option in Australia. Compared with the current prescription-only model, pharmacist-only supply could increase access to a lower exposure nicotine product in a highly regulated therapeutic context while addressing youth access and purchasing for non-therapeutic use, reduce demand for illicit products for smoking cessation purposes and avoid overburdening medical services with consultations to obtain NVP prescriptions. This approach can also accommodate current government goals such as eliminating NVP advertising, youth-focused branding and supply from grocery and convenience stores.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
En
Journal:
Tob Control
Journal subject:
TRANSTORNOS RELACIONADOS COM SUBSTANCIAS
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Australia
Country of publication:
United kingdom