CPD: SUPPORTING SMOKING CESSATION DURING STOPTOBER


Learning objectives


After reading this article, pharmacists should be able to:


Recognise the role of community pharmacy in smoking cessation


Deliver effective behavioural support and treatment advice


Use Stoptober as an opportunity to engage smokers who may be considering a quit attempt


October's Stoptober campaign provides an ideal opportunity for pharmacy teams to encourage smokers to make a quit attempt. Research consistently shows that smokers are more likely to succeed when they combine behavioural support with evidence-based treatment, making community pharmacy a key setting for smoking cessation interventions.


Why Stoptober Matters


Although smoking rates in Scotland have fallen significantly over recent decades, tobacco use remains one of the leading preventable causes of illness and premature death.


Smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cancer and numerous other long-term conditions.


Stoptober encourages smokers to quit for 28 days during October. Evidence suggests that if a smoker can remain smoke-free for four weeks, they are substantially more likely to quit permanently.


For pharmacists, the campaign provides a timely prompt to start conversations that might otherwise never take place.


Stoptober provides a national platform for promoting smoking cessation, but meaningful change happens through individual conversations...


Identifying Opportunities to Intervene


Every pharmacy encounter provides a potential opportunity to discuss smoking cessation.


Patients collecting prescriptions for asthma, COPD, hypertension, cardiovascular disease or diabetes may particularly benefit from targeted advice. Similarly, requests for cough remedies, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or respiratory medicines can open the door to a brief intervention. Even a short conversation can increase motivation and encourage future quit attempts.


Supporting Successful Quit Attempts


Successful smoking cessation involves more than simply advising patients to stop smoking. Nicotine addiction is both physical and behavioural and patients often require ongoing support.


Pharmacists can help patients develop a quit plan that includes:


• Setting a quit date • Identifying smoking triggers • Planning coping strategies • Accessing regular follow-up support


Behavioural support improves quit rates and can help patients remain motivated during periods of withdrawal and craving.


Treatment Options


Nicotine replacement therapy remains a well-established treatment option and is available in various formulations, including patches, gum, lozenges, inhalators and mouth sprays.


Combination NRT, using a patch alongside a faster acting product, is often more effective than a single product alone.


Pharmacists should also be familiar with other licensed smoking cessation medicines and local prescribing pathways.


Increasingly, patients may ask about vaping products as a quitting aid. While vaping is not risk-free, current evidence indicates that regulated nicotine vaping products are substantially less harmful than smoking tobacco and may help some smokers quit successfully. Vaping is not completely harmless and it has not been around long enough to understand what the long-term effects may be, so patients who choose to vape to quit smoking should aim to eventually stop vaping too.


Managing Challenges


Relapse should be viewed as part of the quitting journey rather than a failure. Patients commonly struggle with:


• Cravings • Stress • Social situations • Weight concerns • Fear of withdrawal symptoms


Pharmacists can help by normalising these challenges and encouraging patients to learn from previous quit attempts.


The Pharmacy Opportunity


Stoptober provides a national platform for promoting smoking cessation, but meaningful change happens through individual conversations. By proactively identifying smokers, providing evidence-based advice and offering ongoing support, pharmacy teams can make a significant contribution to Scotland's ambition of reducing tobacco-related harm and improving population health.


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