Many reasons why e-cigarettes should not be sold in pharmacies

摘要

In response to recent articles in The Pharmaceutical Journal and to add to ongoing discussions within the pharmacy profession surrounding the hot topic of electronic cigarettes, there are some points worth considering. The licensing of a medicine guarantees the quality, safety and efficacy of medicinal products and places liability on the license holder for adverse effects arising from the use of their product. At present, there are no Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) licensed e-cigarettes in the UK. E-cigarettes are only covered by consumer product regulation. From the middle of 2016, they will come under the revised EU Tobacco Products Directive, except where therapeutic claims are made or they contain over 20mg/ml of nicotine, when they will require an MHRA licence.