PHARMACIST SUPPORT JUST ‘SMOKING’!
According to new research, pharmacists who provide structured smoking cessation advice can make a real difference…
for individuals quitting smoking. P
Now, according to research commissioned by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health EMEA (J&J), more than half of smokers say they want to be both tobacco and nicotine free, with four in ten looking to pharmacists to provide the advice they need on smoking cessation.
Every year around 78,000 people in the UK die from smoking-related diseases, with many more living with debilitating smoking-related illnesses.
Smoking increases the risk of developing more than 50 serious health conditions. In addition to the fact that it damages the heart and blood circulation, smoking also damages the lungs, leading to conditions such as COPD, and worsening or prolonging the symptoms of respiratory conditions such as asthma, or respiratory tract infections.
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scottishpharmacist.com
harmacists who provide structured smoking cessation advice make a real difference, delivering improved outcomes
J&J’s research revealed that consumer interest in smoking cessation is on the increase, with 28 per cent of UK smokers citing COVID-19 as the main reason for quitting. This is expected to continue following advice from the WHO that evidence suggests that smoking is associated with increased severity of disease and death in hospitalised COVID-19 patients.
The good news, according to J&J’s previous research, is that more than eight out of ten pharmacists are interested in the management and treatment of smokers looking to quit.
‘We know that community pharmacy-delivered behavioural intervention and support, together with pharmacotherapeutic advice, is invaluable for smokers wishing to quit. With more and more smokers trying to quit, pharmacists have a vital role to play’, said Dr Mark Watt MD, Medical Affairs Senior Director at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health EMEA.
At present, pharmacists most commonly recommend either one or two concurrent
Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT), with an average of 88 per cent recommending at least one format of NRT, while 97 per cent believe smokers are more likely to quit for good by using a combination of two or more NRT products.
More than 90 per cent of pharmacists say they are most likely to recommend patches, while a third (34 per cent) say they are most likely to recommend gum. Evidence shows that patients are more likely to quit for good by using two NRT products in combination, compared to using just one NRT product alone.
Top tips for pharmacists to support smokers wishing to quit • Assess the patient’s overall lung health (carbon monoxide testing and COPD check)
• Provide lifestyle advice including withdrawal symptom management
• Identify best treatment for individual patient • Provide patient with access to smoking cessation services including helplines.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT MORE THAN EIGHT OUT OF TEN PHARMACISTS ARE INTERESTED IN THE MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF SMOKERS LOOKING TO QUIT
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