Chemists reject plan to sell nicotine vapes without a prescription

A deal between Health Minister Mark Butler and the Greens in the Senate on Monday heralded reforms under which nicotine vapes would be sold legally in pharmacists to adults without a prescription.

The agreed changes to the government's vaping bill were a significant concession by Mr Butler, who sought to ban all vapes not prescribed by a doctor.

Mr Butler said the deal meant that "our world-leading laws" would ensure that vapes would only be sold as "therapeutic products to help hardened smokers kick the habit".

But the peak body for the nation's more than 5800 community pharmacists issued a statement saying: "The Guild strongly opposes this proposal".

Putting in threat what had seemed a done deal, a spokesperson for the guild said pharmacists were "not tobacconists or garbologists" and that vaping "has long-term patient harms, including cancer, lung-scarring and nicotine addiction".

The government needs the support of two crossbenchers along with the Greens to pass its bill in the Senate if opposed by the Coalition, which is yet to reveal its position.

If passed, it remains unclear how many, if any, pharmacists would sell vapes over-the-counter.

The guild spokesperson said the amendments agreed to by the government and the Greens were "insulting" and told the Senate to go back to the drawing board.

Greens health spokesperson Jordon Steele-John said the amended bill would deliver "a carefully regulated scheme that focuses on public health outcomes, reducing harm and minimising use".

"Everyone wants to keep illegal vapes out of the hands of kids and teenagers, but the Senate wants pharmacists to stock vapes next to children's Panadol, cold and flu medicine, and emergency contraception," the Guild spokesperson said.

"There is limited evidence to support the use of vaping products for smoking cessation and nicotine dependence."

Under the amended bill, it would be unlawful to supply, manufacture, import, or sell a vape outside of a pharmacy from next Monday.

The government would amend the Poisons Standard to down-schedule therapeutic vaping goods, enabling them to be sold over-the-counter to adults in pharmacies, from October 1.

A conversation with a pharmacist would be required, to provide information on the health harms, with limits on the concentration of nicotine.

The pharmacist would have access to clinical guidance and resources which offer alternate smoking cessation methods to patients.

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Vapers would need to show ID to prove they are aged 18 and over.

For minors seeking access to liquid nicotine to help them quit smoking cigarettes, a GP prescription would still be required.

While unregulated nicotine vapes would be illegal, vapers would not be criminalised for personal use.

The Nationals want nicotine vapes to be regulated and taxed, rather than banned, with plain packaging laws like those that apply to cigarettes.

"We saw that with cigarettes, we saw an 80 per cent reduction in juvenile usage when a former Labor government brought that in, and all credit to them," Nationals leader David Littleproud told Sky News on Monday.

"It goes back into education of young people about the harms of nicotine ... We're seeing kids get on these things because the genie is out of the bottle."