TechStream Group, the Yorkshire-based technology solution provider, has designed and published a public database of all legally listed vape products in the UK, vapeclick.
While the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has made public the product list, the company says its website addresses the difficulty in finding compliant vape product information from MHRA data by consolidating the entire dataset into an easily searchable format.
They added that the platform is the only dataset that combines the complete list of branded vape products that have been ‘submitted and notified’ with the MHRA since 2016. The application is designed specifically as a fast, accurate, and easily searchable database for the benefit of consumers, retailers, manufacturers, and enforcement officers.
“The vape industry has been the brunt of intense criticism regarding the thousands of illegal disposable products which have seeped into the market. One of the main challenges for retailers and enforcement officers has been easily identifying compliant products,” said Andy Roberts, director at TechStream.
“By providing retailers, enforcement agencies and consumers with an easily accessible list of all MHRA ‘submitted notified’ vape products they will now be able to make informed decisions regarding the products they can legally sell and where to buy them from. Manufacturers will also benefit from being able to manage and promote their submitted notified products via the platform with enhanced listings.”
The Techstream team has been collaborating with members of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), regional Trading Standards officers, compliance agencies such as Arcus Compliance and other enforcement agencies to ensure the application exceeds the needs of the users.
“This is a fantastic development for the entire UK vape industry and should be viewed as a step forward in self-regulation. The UKVIA welcomes the initiative and the many benefits it will provide,” said John Dunn, director general of the UKVIA.
The benefits of consolidating the entire submitted and notified vape products in the UK are significant, not least the ability of retailers and consumers to easily check which disposable vape products have complied with the UK Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR). The vapeclick platform also allows enforcement officers to identify submitted products efficiently online and via a bespoke mobile application.
Working with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (COSI) Tobacco Control Team, vapeclick has already been accessed by dozens of trading standards officers as a first step in identifying legal and illegal vape products in the UK. The platform uses ‘authoritative data’ which links directly back to the original public list on the MHRA ECig website.
“I have used the pilot vapeclick ECig database, I not only found that it was accurate and easy to use, but I was also able to interrogate the entire data set and include the outputs in my report on the recent project that I have led in Scotland,” said David Francis, senior enforcement officer at Aberdeen City Council.
Eco Vape Ltd, which has included the Vapeclick application on its retail and wholesale websites, is in the process of linking all its nicotine-containing products back to vapeclick to demonstrate the first step of compliance with UK regulations.
“The vapeclick application provides customers with all the information they need to demonstrate that our products have been through the testing and analysis required by law,” said Robert Sidebottom, managing director of Eco Vape.
The vapeclick platform provides access to additional features for manufacturers such as the ability to add product images, flavour details, barcode information and ‘about us’ information for manufacturers. This will further reinforce consumer confidence, protection, and awareness while at the same time providing a complete almanac of all legally listed vape products in the UK. Pre-official launch, the application has been accessed in the UK, China, Germany, United States, India, Italy, France, Ireland, Poland, and Ukraine.
Brian McLister
