Doctor's prescription?

[DarthVapr]

I just ran across this on The National Cancer Institute's website page devoted to smoking cessation products:

"Although nortriptyline and clonidine are not currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of nicotine addiction, doctors sometimes prescribe these drugs to help people quit smoking (13, 15, 16)."

Am I reading this right? These two drugs are not FDA approved "smoking cessation" products and, apparently, the government has no issue with doctors describing, and prescribing them as such?

Isn't this a bit of a double standard, since electronic cigarettes aren't FDA approved and everyone says you can't describe them as smoking cessation devices? What if doctors "recommended" them? I don't mean making them prescription, just recommend them to establish the fact that they do help smokers quit.

----------------
vape Free or Die!
V is for Vapor!
Make America a Free vape Zone!

 

[BiffRocko]

I understand your indignation, but doctors are given latitude to prescribe pharmaceutical drugs for treatments other than the published ones. This is actually a good thing.

My wife takes a med that's purposed to help ...... addicts get clean. Her problem is not ...... addiction but it really helps her problem a lot too.

 

[yvilla]

To add to BiffRocko's correct response, the truth is that the FDA indeed has regulatory power over the marketing and sale of drugs, but does NOT have any say whatsoever over a doctor's power and right to prescribe whatever, in his or her professional opinion, is needed to treat a given patient's condition.

That's why compounding pharmacies still exist today. They are allowed to craft individualized drugs or combinations of drugs according to a doctor's prescription.

We actually had some discussions last year on this issue, as it relates to the possibility of a doctor prescribing, and a compounding pharmacy making, eliquid in individual cases (brought up in the context of if the worst happened in terms of import and sale bans being implemented here in the US). See for example:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...g-ecigs-persrciption-case-ban.html#post334559

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/nicotine/14436-nicotine-sale-2.html#post220514

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...appeals-court-issues-stay-130.html#post577858

 

[JustMeAgain]

I asked my doctor if, in the event of a ban, using a compounding pharmacy was feasible and he seemed to think this was a possibility.

 

[DarthVapr]

It wasn't so much indignation, as "Ah hah! We got 'em!" double standard type of thing. I'm all for people getting any medication they need.

But, since all the ingredients of eJuice are over-the-counter, would we even need a doctor's recommendation?

And I wonder how much BP pays BT for the nicotine they put in the patches. Since it is also now otc, how hard would it be to get some to put in eJuice?

------------
Vape Free or Die!
V is for Vapor!
Make America a Free Vape Zone!

 

[yvilla]

But, since all the ingredients of eJuice are over-the-counter, would we even need a doctor's recommendation?

And I wonder how much BP pays BT for the nicotine they put in the patches. Since it is also now otc, how hard would it be to get some to put in eJuice?

Well, nicotine, itself, is not exactly an "over the counter" chemical, even though certain pharm products containing relatively low dosages of nic like the gum and the patch are. As you know, in its pure form it is extremely toxic, and way too dangerous for non-chemists without proper equipment, like fume hoods, etc, to mess around with.

While pure nicotine probably can be obtained, it would certainly not be the easiest thing to find, nor would it be even advisable. So unless you are talking about buying it already mixed with PG in reasonable percentages, which is precisely what the FDA and states might continue to try to ban the sale of, the idea of eliquid availability from a compounding pharmacy via prescription is, at least for me, a comforting notion in the event the worst case scenario came to pass.

But, as we seem to really be reaching critical mass at this point, I really don't think that's all that likely, so this discussion may well be just academic, thank goodness!

 

[DarthVapr]

---snip---

So unless you are talking about buying it already mixed with PG in reasonable percentages, which is precisely what the FDA and states might continue to try to ban the sale of, the idea of eliquid availability from a compounding pharmacy via prescription is, at least for me, a comforting notion in the event the worst case scenario came to pass.

But, as we seem to really be reaching critical mass at this point, I really don't think that's all that likely, so this discussion may well be just academic, thank goodness!

Gratefully agreed. And about the pure nicotine, that was only a worst-case scenario. And I guess it would always be available over the internet, one way or another.

Vape Free or Die!