Not every general practitioner in Australia is willing to prescribe nicotine for e-cigarettes to smokers that are interested in quitting smoking by way of vaping, but there are those that are. This guide exists to help Aussie smokers who are ready to switch to vaping find the right doctor to obtain a prescription for nicotine.
Doctors Who Prescribe Nicotine For Vaping
We just want to take a moment to note that the number of GPs in Australia who are known to prescribe nicotine for vaping purposes to smokers who are trying to quit is very limited. They are far and few between, but they are out there. But first things first. Schedule an appointment with your family doctor to see whether or not they will write you a prescription for nicotine. There’s a chance that the GP you normally see may be able to assist you in obtaining your prescription. If not, schedule an appointment with one of the doctors that we’ll tell you about below.
First off, you are not guaranteed to receive a nicotine prescription. Let’s just get that cleared up right now. However, if a doctor determines based on their assessment of your situation that you are a candidate for vaping nicotine then there is a chance that you will receive a prescription for nicotine so that you can vape with nicotine.
To find a doctor that can help, consult this list of doctors.
If you are close to any of the doctors on that list, you may consider scheduling an in-person appointment. If none of them is close to you, you can always use telemedicine to receive a consultation remotely through video conferencing or through the phone.
The list we’ve linked to is maintained and hosted by ATHRA, the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association.
Step-By-Step Guide To Obtaining A Nicotine Prescription
Here’s a step-by-step guide to acquiring a prescription for nicotine to simplify the process for those who are seeking a prescription so that they can switch from smoking to vaping:
- Consult your family doctor
- See a doctor on ATHRA’s list if yours is unable to help
- Receive a nicotine prescription if the doctor finds it appropriate
What To Expect At Your Doctor Appointment
When scheduling an appointment with a GP, you can expect to be asked questions about your smoking habits. The doctor you see will assess your suitability for vaping nicotine. It is likely that you will be asked a variety of questions related to not only your smoking habits but also your health. Be prepared to answer any questions that arise truthfully, as they will help the doctor properly assess your suitability for vaping nicotine.
If you have already tried other smoking cessations such as nicotine patches and gum, you may well be a suitable candidate to try vaping. It’s worth noting that while vaping has helped many smokers in Australia and elsewhere in the world quit smoking, it does not work for everyone.
Finding Success In Quitting Smoking With Vaping
To help smokers successfully switch to vaping, we at Aus Vape provide various resources including vaping guides and reviews of vaping products. Selecting the right vaping products to get started with is an important first step, which is why we strongly recommend consulting our guides and product reviews.
Vape shops are also a good place to find information as vape shop employees and owners are often well versed when it comes to matters of vaping, be it which nicotine strength to use, which flavours of e-liquid to try, or which e-cigs to use and how to best to use them.
If you’re wondering what it’s like to switch from smoking to vaping, we recommend reading this first-hand experience written by a former smoker who used e-cigarettes to quit smoking.
Where To Buy Nicotine Vaping Supplies In Australia
Once you’ve obtained your prescription for nicotine, the question of where to buy nicotine vaping supplies is sure to come up shortly after. The answer to that question can be found in our guide to buying nicotine e-liquid for Australians.
If you’re looking for a vape shop to buy nicotine vaping supplies, you can find one here. They carry e-cig kits, e-liquid with nicotine, and all of the accessories and parts needed to vape. Plus, they ship directly to customers in Australia. Their e-liquid comes in bottles, vape pods, and e-cig refills known as cartomisers. It’s available in numerous flavours and strengths. As for their vape kits, they come in a handful of different styles, which include vape pens, pod systems, cig-a-likes, and what we’d call a vape mod without the mod, meaning a large handheld vape with a lot of vaping power but without the complications of mods.
A quick explanation for those that don’t care to read our in-depth guide on how and where to buy nicotine vape if you live in Australia is that any nicotine-containing vaping products need to be imported for personal use. Online vape shops like the one we linked to above provide Aussies with an easy way to order vaping products with nicotine and import them into the country from overseas, which is currently the only way to get vaping products that have nicotine in them.
Prescriptions Will Be Required Come October
Starting in October of this year (2021), the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will require vapers in Australia to have a prescription in order to import any nicotine-containing vaping products. This comes as a result of the government’s plan to enact a prescription-model in the country for nicotine e-cigarettes, which is currently scheduled to begin later this year.
This means that Australia’s more than 500,000 vapers will soon be required to have a prescription in order to access the nicotine e-liquid needed to vape with nicotine.
As of late last year, there were only 14 doctors registered to prescribe nicotine. This limited number of GPs in the country registered with the TGA as authorised prescribers of liquid nicotine has raised concerns, however, Health Minister Greg Hunt has said that “any doctor may currently prescribe nicotine containing e-cigarettes that can be used by consumers for personal importation” and that while this is “not widely understood,” it does mean that there are over 30,000 doctors in the country that can prescribe nicotine-based e-cigs for quitting smoking.
“It is important to note that any doctor may currently prescribe nicotine containing e-cigarettes that can be used by consumers for personal importation. This is not widely understood, and it is an important matter of public information that over 30,000 GPs may currently, and in the future, prescribe nicotine-based e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.”
What do you think of the Australian Government’s plan to make nicotine-containing vaping products accessible only with a prescription?
