Casey pharmacists seek clarity amid new rules

By Ethan Benedicto

Pharmacists have criticised new vaping reforms introduced this month, agreeing that while they may be best placed to supply vape pens for therapeutic purposes, they should do more to prepare.

The new rules prohibit the domestic production, commercial possession and sale of non-therapeutic and disposable e-cigarettes from July 1.

Ganesh Tumkur, pharmacist and owner of Berwick Springs Pharmacy, said that if any profession were suited to fulfill this role, pharmacists are best suited to it.

“We tend to do more smoking cessation than anyone else in our community, so I have no problem with that,” Mr. Tumkur said.

From 1 October, only pharmaceutical supply chains will be allowed to distribute and supply vape pens at 20mg/ml or less to patients aged 18 years or older without a prescription, where pharmacists deem it clinically appropriate.

While Mr Tumkur agreed that pharmacists are not adequately compensated for the responsibility of selling and advising on the purchase of vaporizers, he also added that it is the responsibility of the “pharmacy to ethically and medically provide a vaporizer to the patient”.

However, care must be taken to distinguish between these two issues to ensure that pharmacies retain their status as providers of medical equipment and/or methods to support smoking cessation, and are not treated as alternative e-cigarette providers.

“The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) needs to work with vaporizer manufacturers to develop products that are considered to be smoking cessation aids,” Mr Tumkur said.

Currently, vaporizers are not considered a smoking cessation aid for several reasons. One is the lack of TGA approval and the lack of solid research to suggest that vaping helps with smoking cessation.

Sharon Torpey, founder of Drug Education Australia, said: “We don’t want young people using e-cigarettes at all, whether it’s regulated or not, inhaling anything other than oxygen is not the ideal solution.”

“Some people justify vaping as a way to quit smoking, but there is no research anywhere to prove that vaping is an effective way to achieve that goal,” she said.

The owner of Direct Chemist Outlet in Hampton Park Central, Minn., admitted that pharmacists are the best fit to supply vaporizers, but more action and awareness should have been taken before the regulation could be passed.

“The comparisons we found were between vaporizers sold in pharmacies and vaporizers bought on the streets.

“We know it is safer, but is it safe in the long run or not? We have not been informed about that.

“We don’t want to be in a situation where we’re selling products to consumers that are going to cause more health problems without knowing if that’s the right thing to do,” he said.

According to Mina, an additional course on vaporizers that went into more detail would be beneficial, as some pharmacists, perhaps all pharmacists, would be better qualified to provide information, given that the average person “doesn’t understand everything.”

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, while tobacco smoking has declined among 18-24 year-olds, the use of e-cigarettes has increased. In 2019, the figure was 1.6% of the total population, while in 2022-23 it was 9.3%.

Clearer guidelines would benefit not only pharmacies but also those looking for therapeutic devices. Mina says that “some even feel that they are now subsidized.”

“They come and ask, is the government giving away vaporizers now? Some are confused.

“For example, we don’t know what will be on the market, we don’t know how it will work.

“Before it became official, there were so many questions that needed to be answered first, and we weren’t given enough resources or information to agree or disagree,” he said.

Mr Tumkur added that if the TGA is able to work effectively with manufacturers then they could be considered a medical device.

“If that happens, and in relation to that, if the government can provide additional resources and funding to pharmacies so that they can deliver it to patients in an appropriate way… that will be the right way to go forward.”

Mr Tumkur’s proposal includes additional information for patients on medical vaporizers, appropriate counselling, detailed instructions and the possibility of monitoring the course of treatment by pharmacies and pharmacists.

“If we are just vape shops in the future, I don’t think that would be appropriate for a healthcare facility like a pharmacy.

“I think there’s a role for the government and the TGA in helping pharmacies and chemists treat vapes as medicine rather than just, you know, ‘light up and see you later’,” he said.

In a previous article in the Star, assistant professor Michelle Jongenelis of the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences said the reforms were “definitely a win” for public health.

“This is a huge step forward for public health safety. We don’t have the controlled access that we were hoping for, but it’s better than anything that’s come before it, and it’s better than opening stores near a high school selling e-cigarettes,” she said.

For Mina, monitoring and frequency of use orders are key factors.

“There’s no way to be completely certain whether a customer is actually going to come back to you or if they just passed by. Without proper regulation, it’s difficult,” he said.

Looking to the future, Mr Tumkur believes long-term collaboration between manufacturers, government and the TGA is the best course of action to develop a proper smoking cessation device, along with “tough rules” and targets to avoid the creation of yet another recreational tool.