Four excellent blogs already exist here,here,here,here covering this recent revelation from the Department for Health and Public Health Minister Jane Ellison
I shall hopefully not regurgitate similar thoughts and interpretations in my take of events and analysis
It was announced in the landmark Public Health England(PHE) report in August amidst much discussion that the MHRA would be encouraged to apply far less stringent requirements to obtaining a marketing authorisation towards e-cigarettes.
It is my contention that PHE clearly recognised that for widespread acceptance of e-cigarettes from sceptics, it required at least one 'medicinal' e-cigarette. Pressure was clearly applied to the MHRA to relax its traditional demanding requirements in favour of a very light touch.
Whilst the approval of the e-Voke seems perverse in so many ways(BT product, outdated technology from 2009-2010,SHITTY product) it at least destroyed the myth that MHRA would never authorise an e-cigarette as a medicine.
However,would the MHRA approve an application from a manufacturer of an open-tank system?
Should the e-Voke or indeed any other 'medicinal' e-cig be allowed on prescription? NO!
The NHS has far too many demands on its budget, and could alienate non-smoking taxpayers, further increasing the antipathy towards e-cigarettes. Possibly there is a case for those who qualify for free prescriptions,but even this is contentious.
The only possible good news from this announcement, is that it could encourage some previously sceptical(due to safety issues) smokers to attempt to try e-cigarettes for the first time,however their experience could very well be tarnished by this Shitty product.
