SMOKING CESSATION
WIth thE SmoKIng cESSatIon campaIgn ‘StoptobEr’ JUSt aroUnD thE cornEr, tWo nI pharmacIStS tEll pIf hoW It’S aboUt morE than SImplY DISplaYIng poStErS…
the proactive approach to Stoptober
n
ow in its fifth year, the Stoptober campaign is a 28- day stop smoking challenge
that encourages and supports smokers across nI in quitting for good. the initiative is based on the concept that, if a person can stop smoking for 28 days, then they are five times more likely to be able to stay quit for good.
andrew cheung from harrison healthcare in belfast is already planning the pharmacy’s participation in the campaign.
‘as a pharmacy, we’re always very heavily involved in smoking cessation,’ andrew told pif. ‘In fact, we regularly revisit the way in which we address this issue with our patients. Initiatives such as Stoptober and no Smoking Day in march simply allow us to reinforce our commitment to our patients. for us, the overarching objective of Stoptober is to trigger significant numbers of quit attempts primarily by increasing their motivation to quit and providing products to make this quitting easier.
‘our quit rate - which is currently sitting above 70 per cent - is, I think, due to our initial intervention with the patient. our initial consultation is, in my opinion, the make or break point in whether we engage with a patient or not. for that reason, I tend to weed out ‘impulse quitters’ at this stage. those, for example, who come in on a friday afternoon saying that they want to quit… I simply defer
10 - pharmacY In focUS
them to the monday morning to see if they really are serious about wanting to stop. these impulse quitters will usually try about twice a year to stop.
‘the dedicated quitters are those who come in on their lunch break or after work. I find that it is these patients who are most motivated and will therefore have most success. following the 20-minute initial consultation it’s all about ensuring that that conversation is continued every week when they come back for their patches and urge control back-up.
‘one initiative that we have put into practice is the presentation of a certificate at the four, eight and twelve-week stages. I’ve found that it’s a form of free advertising for our smoking cessation programme, since our patients put them up in their offices or in their kitchens at home. not only does it give the quitter a sense of achievement, it also highlights what we do to other smokers.’
award-winning smoking cessation pharmacist, michael Walsh, from Walshs pharmacy in Warrenpoint is another pharmacist, who believes that Stoptober provides pharmacists with a perfect opportunity to engage with smokers, and that it’s about much more than leaflets and posters.
‘We want to empower patients to make their own decisions and choices, so, when it comes to their treatment, it’s important to involve
them in the process, as this will lead to greater quitting success,' said michael.
‘I firmly believe that the pharmacist not only needs to engage with those motivated enough to come into the pharmacy asking about smoking cessation, but also needs to target complex cases - those, for example, who have had ten or more cycles of change.
‘obviously these complex cases will require more time and dedication but, they should not be excluded for time reasons. Instead, they should be encouraged to register again once they have identified where they think they went wrong before. as pharmacists, it’s our role to help them through this process. ask them, for example, ‘what did you learn about yourself the last time when you failed?’ or ‘what would you do next time to make it easier for yourself?’
‘In addition to the promotional material provided for the Stoptober initiative, I also provide tools to help my patients remain motivated. new sign-ups, for example, receive a free money box into which they can put the money they’ve saved by not smoking. these can be purchased cheaply from a pound shop and I usually buy a dozen at a time. like andrew, I also provide certificates, which I believe increase and maintain motivation. It’s simply a matter of engaging with the patient and maintaining that engagement throughout the process.’ •
Michael’s tips for patients:
• If using patches, advise them to place box of patches by bedside table, so they see this first thing
• If patient can, let everyone they know that they're quitting (friends and family) as this reinforces the change and creates positive support
• advise them to remove all associations with smoking in the home. get rid of lighters, ashtrays and cigarettes
• Suggest they change their routine, eg, if they’re used to drinking coffee with a cigarette in the morning, change to tea or fruit juice
• tell them about the ’rule of threes’, ie, the most difficult time hurdles during the quitting process: third hour, third day, third week, third month. reassure them and recommend that they count to three and rethink why they want to quit
• Suggest they change their mobile phone wallpaper to a motivational image, such as something they’re going to buy with the money saved up from not smoking, or an image of a holiday etc.
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