Prescriptions are valid for 12 months, and nicotine liquid is not covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Medicare rebates are now available for telehealth consultations with GPs who are not your own doctor, with a rebate of $39.10 for consultations up to 20 minutes and $75.75 for consultations over 20 minutes. Medicare rebates are only payable if you are bulk-billed and have a health care card.
There are three ways to legally access nicotine e-liquid in Australia. The first is to import up to three months’ supply of nicotine e-liquid from overseas suppliers for personal use to quit smoking or prevent relapse under the Personal Importation Scheme. It is essential to provide a copy of your prescription to the vape supplier to return with your order. Products imported under the Personal Importation Scheme must not contain active ingredients other than nicotine, such as caffeine, THC, stimulants or vitamins, and must not contain potentially harmful chemicals.
Since May 2021, Australian pharmacies have been able to sell commercial nicotine e-liquids if you have a prescription and your doctor is an Authorised Prescriber. Doctors must apply to the TGA to become an Approved Prescriber. It remains to be seen how many pharmacies will participate, and pharmacy markups are likely to be significant. Compounding pharmacies can also prepare customized nicotine e-liquid from individual ingredients provided with a prescription from an Authorised Prescriber.
Importing nicotine without a valid prescription carries a penalty of up to $222,000 under the Customs Act, and state and territory penalties for possession without a prescription are up to $32,000 and two years jail time. South Australia is an exception where a prescription is not required to possess nicotine e-liquid, but a prescription will be required after 1 October 2021
What are the current requirements around nicotine vape laws?
The current laws in Australia require a nicotine vape prescription from a registered healthcare professional in order to gain access to nicotine vapes. This means that you cannot legally purchase nicotine-containing e-cigarettes or e-liquids without a prescription. The new laws came into effect on October 1st, 2021, and are aimed at reducing the uptake of vaping by young people.
What are the current vaping laws?
Under the new vape laws, Australians are not allowed to import nicotine vape juice or vape pods without proof of a prescription. This means that if you are caught importing nicotine vape products without a prescription, you could be fined tens of thousands of dollars, depending on your situation and the state/territory you are in.
Read More: Everything You Need To Know About Nicotine prescriptions In Australia
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