Nicotine dependence treatment: provision of a dedicated programme by the National Addictions Management Service.

Abstract

Smoking is the top cause of death among lifestyle habits and continues to affect more than one billion people around the world. The current gold standard for smoking cessation is a combination of pharmacological and behavioural approaches. In March 2017, the National Addictions Management Service, Singapore, initiated a smoking cessation programme that combined the pharmacological treatment options of either nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion or varenicline with individual counselling to achieve optimal results. Treatment is customised to the individual based on demographics, individual preferences, cost considerations, and history of chronic medical or psychiatric ailments. After more than 1.5 years of running this programme, we share the lessons learnt.