This isn’t news to a lot of vapers in Australia because it has been in the works for some time now, however, we have now reached a point at which the Australian Government requires Australians to have a valid prescription for nicotine in order to purchase any nicotine-containing vaping supplies. Mind you, there’s no need for a prescription to buy a packet of cigarettes at a local store, which research has shown to claim the lives of around 24,000 Australians each year, but Australians who want to switch to vaping, which research has shown to be much less harmful, must now have a prescription in order to buy the products that they need to make the switch. Crazy, right?
The only good news, as far as we’re concerned, is the fact that there are now online services that can make the entire process of obtaining a script quick and easy. If you live in Australia and you are trying to figure out where to start with getting your nicotine script, we have got you covered. Here is how you do it:
Getting Your Nicotine Script For Vaping In Australia
To get a prescription, you need to make an appointment with your GP and ask for one. During these hectic times, that might not be suitable for everyone. Thankfully, telemedicine has come a long way in recent years. As a result, you can actually schedule a telehealth consultation that can be carried out from the comfort of your home. To make things even easier, Australian vapers and those interested in trying vaping as a means by which to quit smoking can use an online service like Quit Clinics to get obtain an e-cigarette prescription from an authorised doctor.
To obtain your script online, simply do the following:
- Visit the Quit Clinics website
- Take the 5-minute questionnaire
- Get your prescription if deemed suitable
While there is no guarantee that a doctor will prescribe you nicotine for vaping, using an online service like the one Quit Clinics offers streamlines the process and allows you to pursue your prescription entirely online. You never have to visit a doctor’s office and you never have to leave your home, which makes it very practical in these hectic times.
Typically, Quit Clinics is able to provide nicotine scripts in less than a day and they are valid for one year.
Once you have your prescription, you can legally order nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and e-juice from online retailers that serve customers in Australia.
What Happens If You Don’t Get A Prescription
Since the beginning of October 2021, it has become necessary to obtain a script before purchasing nicotine-containing vaping supplies. As a result, Australian Border Force (ABF) now has the authority to seize your package of vaping supplies at the border and refer it to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) so that the TGA can request a copy of your script to verify that your package has been legally purchased.
If you don’t have a script, ABF/TGA can destroy your package and hit you with a warning or a fine.
So if you are currently vaping nicotine e-liquid or you are considering trying nicotine e-cigs to quit smoking, then do yourself a favour and book an appointment with your GP now to discuss the matter. If you need a prescription as quickly as possible, an online service like the one we mentioned might be your best bet.
Where To Buy Nicotine E-Cigs Once You Have Your Script
After you get your script, you have some options for where you can buy your vaping products. According to the TGA, you can fill your prescription through:
- An Australian community or online pharmacy
- An overseas supplier via the Personal Importation Scheme
If that last option doesn’t make sense to you, don’t worry. All it means is that you can order nicotine-containing vaping products from an online vape shop and have them shipped to you through the Personal Importation Scheme that allows you to acquire up to a 3-month supply at one time. Realistically, it is likely that you will end up buying your vapes and vape juice from an online vape shop that ships to Australia.
As for nicotine-free e-cigarettes and e-liquids that contain 0mg of nicotine (0% strength), those can still be purchased without a prescription. The new prescription requirement that the Australian Government has imposed on Australians only pertains to vaping products that have nicotine in them.
