NEWS: E-cigarettes "should be on prescription"

[VapingBad]

From the Beeb and on the New channel
E-cigarettes 'should be on prescription' link

E-cigarettes should be available on prescription, according to Public Health England (PHE).
The agency wants them to be prescribed on the NHS within the next few years because of how successful they have been in helping people give up smoking.
An independent review of the latest evidence, published by PHE, suggests at least 20,000 people a year are quitting with the help of e-cigarettes.
The report also says they are at least 95% less harmful than smoking.
PHE also wants hospitals to be able to sell e-cigarettes and have areas where patients can vape.
This could even be in private rooms for patients on long hospital stays, it says.
PHE also encouraged employers to provide vaping areas.

[pacman]

Well that is encouraging news. Hope we see it happening sooner rather then later.

[Richard46]

It would of course have to be a medically approved e-cig and the only one that is (The Voke) is not going into production. No big surprise there.

www.cityam.com/256448/british-american-tobacco-drops-its-nicotine-inhaler-voke

[Perpetua]

I'd like to say yes, if it was a device capable of actually providing a true substitute cigarette experience for smokers, in addition to being reliable and hassle free.

Morally I have a bit more of a dilemma given the precarious financial nature of the NHS, largely because if anyone can afford to smoke readymade cigs these days they could afford to buy a decent beginner set up themselves, if they had a mind to. And would perhaps be more inclined to really give vaping a try if they had made the investment out of their own pocket. The reverse could also be argued of course and the amount of tax paid by smokers possibly helps to fund the NHS - so it could be seen almost as an entitlement.

Likewise the millions spent by the NHS on nicotine replacement systems that are largely useless for many smokers and could be used considerably more effectively on an ecig set up.

Overall, I'm a bit in two minds about the ' prescription ' thing, but the stance taken by PHE is hugely, hugely encouraging. 

[Bobsbeer]

I'm all for prescription ecigs. Not that it would help me as I have already quit tobacco. We all know the high health cost involved in smoking, so getting that down must be financially better for the NHS. Yes people are spending over £3000 a year on smoking, and would possibly pay about £100 on ecig prescriptions, but how much are the NHS saving on the cost of cancer drugs/treatments and other smoking related health costs?

The government don't need to go down the prescriptions route though, the best thing they could do is repeal the regulations in March 2019 on Brexit. Make it easier to vape, and get decent vaping equipment, then even more than 20,000 will switch to vaping each year.

Anyway well done PHE for such a positive report.

[ukipper]

Also here. www.gov.uk/government/news/phe-publishes-independent-expert-e-cigarettes-evidence-review

[*-SARIN-*]

PHE and the BBC make me sick HIPPOCRATES!

[Get Off My Cloud]

My one worry about this is if they make them prescription devices they will a few months down the road choose to classify ecigs as medical devices and possibly prescription only medical devices which will leave the public with only the government sanctioned options which will undoubtedly be deliberate crap supplied by the corporation with the deepest pockets and most connected lobbyists.

[Richard46]

Feb 6, 2018 16:28:10 GMT Get Off My Cloud said:

My one worry about this is if they make them prescription devices they will a few months down the road choose to classify ecigs as medical devices and possibly prescription only medical devices which will leave the public with only the government sanctioned options which will undoubtedly be deliberate crap supplied by the corporation with the deepest pockets and most connected lobbyists.

Didn't the UK government way back favour entirely 'medicated' vaping legislation?

Too late now though for such a possibility I would have thought. I cannot see any government paying for what people are now buying for themselves. A large number of people pay nothing for prescriptions. People on benefits/pensioners etc. Probably groups that contain a large number of smokers. 

[*-SARIN-*]

From the photos on the BBC site they'll be ego batteries with CE4's

[Get Off My Cloud]

Feb 6, 2018 16:53:16 GMT Richard46 said:

Feb 6, 2018 16:28:10 GMT Get Off My Cloud said:

My one worry about this is if they make them prescription devices they will a few months down the road choose to classify ecigs as medical devices and possibly prescription only medical devices which will leave the public with only the government sanctioned options which will undoubtedly be deliberate crap supplied by the corporation with the deepest pockets and most connected lobbyists.

Didn't the UK government way back favour entirely 'medicated' vaping legislation?

Too late now though for such a possibility I would have thought. I cannot see any government paying for what people are now buying for themselves. A large number of people pay nothing for prescriptions. People on benefits/pensioners etc. Probably groups that contain a large number of smokers. 

Sure there a lot of people who get free prescriptions but what about those that don't?

If they made ecigs prescription only then people who currently vape will have to go to the pharmacy to buy the device and probably the liquid or refill cartridge too on prescription.
The government wouldn't be paying for these devices or liquid, the current prescription charge is £8.60 per item how much do you think the NHS will be paying for some cigalike or other disposable device?
The prescription charge is £8.60 per item regardless of the cost of the item to the NHS.

[Richard46]

Feb 6, 2018 18:08:02 GMT Get Off My Cloud said:

Feb 6, 2018 16:53:16 GMT Richard46 said:

Didn't the UK government way back favour entirely 'medicated' vaping legislation?

Too late now though for such a possibility I would have thought. I cannot see any government paying for what people are now buying for themselves. A large number of people pay nothing for prescriptions. People on benefits/pensioners etc. Probably groups that contain a large number of smokers. 

Sure there a lot of people who get free prescriptions but what about those that don't?

If they made ecigs prescription only then people who currently vape will have to go to the pharmacy to buy the device and probably the liquid or refill cartridge too on prescription.
The government wouldn't be paying for these devices or liquid, the current prescription charge is £8.60 per item how much do you think the NHS will be paying for some cigalike or other disposable device?
The prescription charge is £8.60 per item regardless of the cost of the item to the NHS.

Well the NHS manage to pay £3.23 for paracetamol which can be bought for about 19p in supermarkets so the sky is probably the limit for what they will get charged for an e-cig. Very unlikely that £8.60 (& nothing from those on benfits) will come anywhere close to covering costs.
Sorry just do not see this happening.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nhs-70-million-paracetamol-last-year-figures-department-of-health-painkillers-prescriptions-a7819661.html

[Richard46]

While it is great news that the PHE is giving such credit to vaping as a safe and effective alternative to vaping I have doubts about the merit of prescribing them.

The kit will probably be cheap and ineffective; esp. as limited by the daft medical requirements.
Vaping has flourished as a consumer led activity. I doubt it will be so effective in a prescribed context and if it fails it will do vaping no favours.
There will be even more resentment towards vaping if it seen as something being provided from taxes.
Association with health rather than enjoyment is just not a good look.

[VapingBad]

For me it's the things like recommending vaping areas in hospitals and work places, recommending them as a top class quit method, reiterating they > 20 times safer than smoking and calling out the "they are bad for you" BS as fake news (last time I was confidently told that was 25:30 hours ago).

[solac77]

Oooh doc you couldn't prescribe be a couple of litres of nic....that should do for a bit....hehe;)