Ready to quit? See an AHPRA-registered GP online from $49 — get a personalised quit plan and, if suitable, a prescription sent to your phone the same day.
Talk to a GP OnlineQuitting smoking is the single best health decision most Australians will ever make — and it is also one of the hardest. The good news is that you do not have to rely on willpower alone. Decades of research show that people who use a combination of support and stop-smoking medicine are far more likely to quit for good than people who go cold turkey with nothing but motivation.
This guide walks through what actually works, what the medicines cost on the PBS, and how an online GP consultation can get you a quit plan — and a prescription if one suits you — without leaving home.
The Quick Answer
- The most effective approach is behavioural support combined with first-line medicine — this is the position of the RACGP's national smoking cessation guidelines.
- Three medicine options are backed by evidence: nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), varenicline and bupropion (Zyban). NRT is available over the counter; the other two need a prescription.
- Varenicline and bupropion are subsidised on the PBS for people who smoke who join a support program (such as Quitline on 13 7848).
- Champix (the original varenicline brand) left the Australian market in late 2025, but generic varenicline products are available — supply varies between brands and pharmacies.
- You can get a quit plan and prescription through a telehealth GP consultation from $49, with eScripts delivered by SMS.
Step 1: Pick a quit date and prepare
Choose a date within the next two weeks — far enough to prepare, close enough that you will not talk yourself out of it. Then set yourself up:
Step 2: Choose your medicine — what the evidence says
All three first-line options work by taking the edge off withdrawal so your brain can unlearn the habit. Your GP can help you choose based on your health history, other medications and what you have tried before.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
Patches, gum, lozenges, mouth spray and inhalators are available over the counter from pharmacies and supermarkets — no prescription needed for most. The single most common mistake is under-dosing: using one patch while craving a cigarette at 3pm. Combination therapy (a daily patch plus a fast-acting product like gum or spray for cravings) works better than a single product. Nicotine patches are also PBS-subsidised with a prescription.
Varenicline
Varenicline reduces withdrawal symptoms and blocks the rewarding effect of nicotine from cigarettes if you slip. It is a prescription-only medicine, taken as a 12-week course (your doctor may continue it up to 24 weeks). The original brand Champix was deleted from the Australian market in November 2025, but several generic versions are registered and some are PBS-listed. If your pharmacy stocks only one brand, ask them to check alternatives — availability varies month to month.
Bupropion (Zyban)
An older but still valid option — a daily tablet that reduces cravings, started one to two weeks before your quit date. It is not suitable for everyone (it interacts with some other medicines and has a seizure caution), which is exactly why the prescription-and-consult step matters.
Step 3: What it costs
| Option | Prescription needed? | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| NRT (patch, gum, lozenge, spray) | No (patches subsidised with a script) | OTC from ~$10–$60 depending on product and pack size; PBS patches with a script count toward your co-payment cap |
| Varenicline | Yes | PBS-listed generic brands: up to $25.00 per script for general patients, up to $7.70 with a concession card (per dispensing, from 2026) |
| Bupropion (Zyban) | Yes | PBS: up to 9 weeks per year for people enrolled in a support program |
How a telehealth GP consult works for quitting
You do not need to sit in a waiting room to get serious about quitting. In an online consultation, an AHPRA-registered GP will:
A standard online GP consultation is $49, and repeat scripts are $25 if you need ongoing medicine. Prescriptions over telehealth are completely normal in Australia — here is exactly how they work.
What withdrawal actually feels like
Knowing the shape of withdrawal makes it survivable. Cravings are intense but short — most pass within three to five minutes. The hardest window is usually the first 3 to 7 days, when nicotine is leaving your system: expect irritability, poor concentration, hunger and restless sleep. After the first fortnight, physical cravings fade noticeably — what is left is mostly habit, and habits are rewired one triggered moment at a time.
Practical aids that genuinely help: keep fast-acting NRT on hand, drink water through cravings, change the routine attached to your strongest triggers, and use the 4 Ds — Delay, Deep breathe, Drink water, Do something else.
If you slip up
A slip is not failure — most successful quitters have several attempts. If you smoke a cigarette, the useful response is data, not shame: what triggered it, what time, what feeling. Adjust, restock your toolkit, and set a new quit date. Keep the conversation going with your GP — sometimes it just means switching medicine or dose.
Quitting vaping
Many people use vaping to quit cigarettes and then find themselves dependent on nicotine all over again. The same playbook applies: a quit date, support, and a plan for nicotine withdrawal. Since 2024, therapeutic vapes can only be accessed through a pharmacist with a doctor's consult behind them — so a GP consult is the lawful starting point, and the same consult can cover your broader quit plan.
Frequently asked questions
Your quit date could be this week
Book an online GP consultation from $49. A personalised quit plan, a prescription if suitable, and same-day eScripts — all from home.
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