SMOKING CESSATION small outlay. Just remember to keep


your script ‘on message’ and keep any videos under 60 seconds in length, otherwise you’ll lose impact.


NHS Smoking Cessation Service Statistics (Scotland) 1 April to 31 March 2016


‘But it is research carried out earlier this year by a team of investigators from University College, London that, I believe, is the real face of voking.


‘In the study, the researchers analysed levels of carcinogens and toxicants known to be derived from cigarette smoking among a group of smokers and ex-smokers. Two groups were using harm reduction products, such as e-cigs or other NRTs - and they were found to have signifi cantly lower levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when compared to those using combustible or real cigarettes alone, or combinations of cigarettes and e-cigs.


‘The study concluded, in fact, that smokers who switch to e-cigs and vaping, could substantially reduce their levels of carcinogens and other toxins by as much as 97 per cent.


‘So far so good then for vapers!


‘Not so good news for vokers, however! Despite the positive results about switching to e-cigs, the data also clearly showed that, in order to have a signifi cantly decreased exposure to tobacco carcinogens and toxicants, a person could not combine cigarette smoking with NRT or e-cig use.


‘And so there we have our target market….the voker!


‘These recent studies have provided us, as community pharmacists, with the data that we need to convince vokers that yes, switching to e-cigs will reduce their exposure to carcinogens etc, but that they cannot ‘mix and match’ with real cigarettes. What is therefore needed is a clinically proven service, ie, the smoking cessation programme, which is free on the NHS and which can be combined with vaping.


‘In other words, our smoking cessation service!


14 - SCOTTISH PHARMACIST ‘So, how do we go about it?


‘No doubt, like myself, you probably feel that - at times - smokers have forgotten that we exist. All of the media hype surrounding vaping has caused our services to fade into the background and they’re literally lost in a haze.


‘If we want to reverse the slump in our service footfall, we need to be proactive. Armed with the knowledge and data I’ve just presented, you have more than enough material to strike up a conversation with smokers, who come into the pharmacy. Whether they’re current vokers or previous smoking cessation participants, who may perhaps have previously failed, you have the perfect opportunity to guide them towards a structured programme in which you are offering them not only guidance and product, but support.


‘Your ‘reach’ must go much further than those, who come into the pharmacy, however. You have to get your message about our pharmacy service ‘out there’. And what better - and more cost-effective - way to do than through social media?


FIRST IMPRESSIONS ‘While social media has many positives, one of the drawbacks with it is that users are constantly bombarded with info and images, so you have only a few seconds to make an impact and get your message across. For that reason, you have to have access to visuals and videos that are designed to make an immediate impact, and which will make your pharmacy - and its services - instantly appealing. Fortunately, websites such as fi verr and people per hour mean that you have ready access to professional graphics and videos for which you don’t have to pay until you’re happy with the fi nished result. You’ll be amazed at what you can get for a


CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER…. ‘Unfortunately, grabbing someone’s attention through social media isn’t enough - you have to keep their attention and draw them even closer to your service. Look at my advert below – the headline is strong and the short wording is concise and to the point. Anyone looking at this ad can see in one glance what I’m offering.


‘LIKING’ NOT ENOUGH! ‘Unfortunately, getting plenty of ‘likes’ isn’t enough in this instance. You need to get people to not only respond to your advert by posting a comment, but to also ‘share’ it or to ‘tag’ someone whom they believe could benefi t from the service. By adding ‘buttons’ to the post, you will enable anyone interested to phone the pharmacy, to link to your website, or to book an appointment directly from the page.


GIVE YOURSELF A ‘BOOST’ ‘Publishing a post may be free, but in order to derive optimal attention from viewers, it’s a good idea to pay the platform to promote your advert. This


is known as ‘boosting’ and will give


you control over who sees your advert and when. In order to ‘choose’ your audience, I would suggest targeting a location. After all, you’re not really likely to attract people who live outside of a ten-mile radius around your pharmacy, are you?


If you don’t want to pay for boosting, then an effective and free alternative to boosting is by partnering with high-volume Facebook groups in your area. These can include local interest groups, surgeries, libraries, slimming groups, gyms etc - all of which tend to have huge followings.


SPREAD THE WORD!


‘Once you’ve posted your advert, make the most of ‘free advertising’ by encouraging your success stories to post comments on your page so that they can spread the word free of charge. Nothing beats word of mouth!


‘So, there you have it. Despite our falling footfall for our smoking cessation service, I fi rmly believe that a new, virtually untapped market is there - ready and waiting - for us. It’s just a matter of identifying those who would benefi t from this service and mounting interventions to draw them in.’ •


Proportion of total attempts, by pharmacy/non-pharmacy


1 Month quit rates as a % proporation of corresponding pharmacy/non-pharmacy attempts


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32