Pharmacy Daily | Vapes on point

FROM the Fields Pharmaceutical (FTF) released a five-point plan for therapeutic nicotine vaping products (NVPs) in its submission to the TGA that seeks to strike the right balance for the upcoming vaping reforms (PD 14 Sep).

The FTF plan included NVPs as an effective tool for quitting smoking, and the medically accepted role of simple flavours and menthol in therapeutic vape products.

It also included the use of disposables in cessation strategies, and possessing adequate nicotine strength while suggesting that local companies could ably supply the future market for NVPs.

"We support a pragmatic solution for adult-smoker cessation with NVPs under a therapeutics goods framework," CEO Wilhelm David said.

"The key to this workable solution for vaping in Australia is preventing the black market, which in turn curtails youth access," he explained.

"This can sit alongside parallel laws and regulations being put in place that appropriately consider the benefits of approved NVPs for adult smokers.

"Fruity flavours and menthol already play key roles in successful smoking cessation among adults.

"Restricting therapeutic vapes to only two flavour options, at extremely low strength...as proposed by the TGA, will perversely deliver the opposite effect on adults seeking to quit," David said.