Dr Carolyn Beaumont, GP

Book a Consultation

Step 1

Gain knowledge

Familiarize yourself with what I offer regarding nicotine scripts and smoking cessation options, by referring to About and FAQs. Further relevant information is available from QUIT and ATHRA. 

Step 2

Book & Pay Online

Choose your preferred time for your phone consultation with Dr Beaumont.

Consults are $80 (unfortunately, no Medicare rebate is available) – this includes a 6-month script if clinically appropriate.

Rest assured knowing your script is legal, valid and clinically appropriate – provided by an Australian fully accredited general practitioner.

Step 3

Phone Consultation

I will call you for the 20 minute phone consultation. I aim to keep to your scheduled time, but sometimes delays occur. Please be patient, and wait for a ‘no caller ID’ call.

We will discuss your medical and smoking history, cessation attempts, experience with nicotine vaping, and smoking cessation goals.

If clinically appropriate, I will provide a 6-month script which is emailed to you immediately.

About

Dr Carolyn Beaumont, General practitioner

RACGP, MD, DipChildHealth, BMedSci(Dist), BMus(Hons), GradDipEd

• Dr Carolyn Beaumont is a general practitioner with Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. She is registered as a medical practitioner with AHPRA, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
• Carolyn is a strong advocate for healthier alternatives to smoking tobacco. She has helped many Australian ex-smokers obtain a legal, clinically appropriate script for liquid nicotine, for the sole purposes of smoking cessation. She started prescribing in 2020, as she developed more awareness and understanding of the plight of chronic smokers – those who desperately want to stop smoking and have tried all other options without success.
• Please note: Carolyn will not prescribe liquid nicotine, under any circumstances, for anyone under 18. However she is more than happy to discuss other smoking cessation options for this age group.
• Carolyn started medicine aged 37. Previous ‘lives’ were as a pianist and teacher, and a medical scientist. A music degree in piano was followed by a medical science degree with distinction, then teaching qualifications. Her sustained interest in the healing professions continued through the years. With a baby and toddler on board, she decided to make life a little busier by starting medical school age 37. She never looked back! Carolyn finally completed her general practitioner specialty training in 2020, and loves being a GP.
• Carolyn believes that a doctor has one and only job. It is to improve human health. Pure and simple. She is guided by the modern-day version of the Hippocratic Oath, which all graduating doctors in Australia commit to. In particular, Carolyn is inspired by these parts of the oath:
  • I will prevent disease whenever I can
  • I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings
  • (I commit to) warmth, sympathy, and understanding

What does the 6-monthly consultation provide?

• A 15-20 minute phone consultation which provides a comprehensive assessment of your smoking cessation needs.
• If a script is clinically indicated (this is frequently the case for ex-smokers who have exhausted all other options), I will ensure this is tailored to your needs. Everyone has different requirements and variable levels of nicotine addiction. I don’t have a ‘one script fits all’ policy. We’ll have a proper discussion about what your smoking cessation needs and goals are, based on the understanding that vaping nicotine is not intended to be for long-term use. Rest assured that the consultation is a friendly, supportive and non-judgemental discussion. Personal details remain fully confidential, the same as for any other medical consult. I am here to support you in maintaining your best health possible.
• A 6-month nicotine script (if clinically appropriate).
• Peace of mind knowing that your script is provided by an Australian general practitioner, with up-to-date knowledge of the changing Australian law surrounding nicotine for smoking cessation purposes.
• Access via email during the year if issues arise.

FAQ

Who might benefit from nicotine vaping?

• Nicotine vaping can be a remarkably effective way of helping ex-smokers stay smoke-free. The typical patient I see is a 40 – 60 year old ex-smoker. They started smoking as a teenager, became strongly addicted and smoked heavily, and unsuccessfully tried for many years to quit using a combination of nicotine replacement therapies, medication such as Champix, and counselling or hypnotherapy. Typically they have come across vaping in the past few years, and they generally report being able to stop smoking almost immediately and permanently. They generally report a wide range of health improvements since stopping smoking.
• Nicotine addiction can develop quickly and persistently, and unfortunately for some smokers it is simply impossible to quit smoking using the current first-line therapies (nicotine replacement therapy and/or pharmacotherapy).

The evidence surrounding nicotine vaping

No one is saying that nicotine vaping is 100% safe. There is no long-term data on the safety of nicotine vaping. However, there is a substantial and growing body of evidence that supports the relative safety and effectiveness of nicotine vaping, compared to smoking tobacco.

What does the World Health Organization say about nicotine vaping?

The World Health Organization provides a balanced assessment of the role of nicotine vaping. Click here for the full report. Essentially, although the lack of long-term safety data is highlighted as a major issue, WHO does offer support for nicotine vaping in current smokers who are unable to stop smoking:

• “If the great majority of tobacco smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit would switch without delay to using an alternative source of nicotine with lower health risks, and eventually stop using it, this would represent a significant contemporary public health achievement.”
• “It is very likely that electronic nicotine devices are less toxic than cigarette smoke”
• “Electronic nicotine devices are unlikely to be harmless, (but) the magnitude of these risks is likely to be smaller than from tobacco smoke.”
  — World Health Organization 2016, WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

What does the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) say about nicotine vaping?

RACGP provides a comprehensive guideline for doctors regarding smoking cessation. The relevant section can be accessed here. In essence, although nicotine vaping is not a first-line smoking cessation method, the RACGP say it ‘may be a reasonable intervention’ in certain groups:
“For people who have tried to achieve smoking cessation with approved pharmacotherapies but failed, but who are still motivated to quit smoking and have brought up e-cigarette usage with their healthcare practitioner, nicotine containing e-cigarettes may be a reasonable intervention to recommend.”

Who is NOT eligible for consideration of nicotine vaping?
Anyone under 18 is not eligible for a nicotine script from me, regardless of circumstances. The Australian legislative position is absolutely clear on this – Vaping (with or without nicotine) is UNSAFE for young people to experiment with. There are valid concerns that vaping when young may lead to smoking. I am absolutely opposed to any measures which portray vaping as a harmless fun youth activity.
Nicotine prescribing and the law

• In Australia, vaping (with or without nicotine) is not recommended as first-line therapy for smoking cessation.
• Since 2017, a script for nicotine from a registered Australian medical practitioner is required in order to buy, possess and use liquid nicotine for vaping.
• You are able to import from overseas a 3-month personal supply, with a valid script. 
• However almost all current vapers I speak with, have been previously unaware that a script is required. This appears to be because in the past, these nicotine laws have not been widely published. But that has changed dramatically since June 2020, when proposed new federal legislation was tabled regarding the prescribing and importing of liquid nicotine. These changes have been postponed until Jan 2021. It is not clear yet what the situation will be, but it is almost certain that a script will continue to be needed. Further, the prescribing doctor is likely to require additional TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) authority before the script is valid. Dr Beaumont has an ongoing commitment to provide valid, legal, clinically appropriate nicotine scripts.