Nicotine strategy needed

PHARMACY bodies should consider the role pharmacies can play in supplying compounded nicotine to minimise the risk of vapers turning to potentially dangerous black market sources, following the Federal Government’s decision to ban the importation of e-cigarettes containing vaporiser nicotine from 01 Jul.

Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) Vice President, and University of South Australia Pharmacy Lecturer, Dr Jacinta Johnson, expressed concerns about the decision in a series of Twitter posts yesterday, after a friend told her he was fearful the ban would see him “go back to smoking” after more than five years of being “smoke-free”.

“[It’s] completely unethical to deny him access to a safer option while allowing cigarette sales on every corner,” she said.

Johnson noted that the Federal Department of Health said pharmacists may dispense or compound nicotine liquid if the patient has a prescription.

However, she said pharmacies cannot obtain or use nicotine liquid without approval of State Health Departments.

She called on the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to investigate the role pharmacists can play in supporting patients in accessing nicotine liquid as a harm minimisation measure.

“I would encourage them to consider the role of pharmacies in specifically supplying compounded nicotine liquid,” she said.

“At this point I think the focus should be on finding a way to provide access to nicotine liquid through pharmacies as a harm minimisation strategy, to prevent people turning to black market nicotine.

“Pharmacists don’t need to endorse vaping or sell devices to play an important role in public safety through facilitating access to high quality nicotine liquid.

“Looking at it through a harm minimisation lens - pharmacies already sell injecting supplies, that doesn’t mean we endorse injecting illicit drugs, we just recognise that these things are happening out there and we have an obligation to do what we can to reduce any associated risks for our community.”