The government is now operating in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions, pending the outcome of the 2025 federal election.
Purpose
The purpose of this guidance is to help sponsors and manufacturers of ‘unapproved’ therapeutic vapes understand the minimum quality and safety requirements for these devices. This guidance is limited to information on the requirements that apply to ‘unapproved’ therapeutic vapes under MDSO 2024 and is only applicable to therapeutic vapes that are indicated for smoking cessation or the management of nicotine dependence.
Note: The requirements set out in the MDSO 2024 are not expected to be permanent. The vaping reforms are staged and the regulatory requirements for vapes are expected to continue to increase in the future.
It is anticipated that all therapeutic vaping devices will be required to meet Class IIb medical device requirements in the future and be included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).
To include the device on the ARTG sponsors will need to have evidence that the device complies with the Essential Principles (EPs) for medical devices and that they hold relevant conformity assessment evidence.