Abstract
The objectives of this study are to report the contribution of pharmacists to smoking cessation and study the determinants of smoking cessation success in eight pharmacies in Portugal (south) between 2009 and 2019. A real-life study was conducted with a sample of smokers who participated in pharmacist consultations. The sample included 135 smokers (average age of 47.9 ± 1.21 years), 79 (58.5%) of whom were male. In parallel with the motivation and behavioral approach, 116 (85.9%) smokers received pharmacological therapies: 108 (80.0%) were treated with nicotine replacement products and eight (5.9%) with non-nicotine medications. The interventions resulted in 70 (51.9%) smokers complying with the quit day, of whom 59 (43.7%) were smoking-abstinent at the end of the first month. Success rates were reduced to 32.6%, 28.1%, and 20.7% at the end of the 3rd, 6th, and 12th months, respectively. Smoking cessation was more successful for the participants receiving pharmacological therapies (Fisher’s exact test, p < 0.001) and those who participated in more pharmacist consultations (χ2 = 59.994, p < 0.001) and more telephone sessions (χ2 = 17.845, p < 0.001). Pharmacists can contribute significantly to the promotion of smoking cessation. Smokers who are more thoroughly followed up by pharmacists showed increased success rates when compared with smokers having fewer sessions with pharmacists.
Highlights
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, in 2017, 13,104 people in Portugal died due to causes attributable to tobacco use [1]
This is a real-life study of a sample of smokers who participated in pharmacist consultations for smoking cessation in eight community pharmacies in the south of Portugal between 2009 and 2019
The study was conducted on a sample of smokers participating in pharmacist consultations in eight community pharmacies over a period of ten years
Summary
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, in 2017, 13,104 people in Portugal died due to causes attributable to tobacco use [1]. Nicotine dependence contributed to 19.6% of deaths from cancer, 28.1% of deaths from chronic respiratory disease, 8.7% of deaths from cerebrovascular disease and 9.8% of deaths from diabetes mellitus [1]. Despite these numbers, tobacco consumption continues to be dramatically high in Portugal, representing a significant public health problem. Compared to the previous year, in 2018, there was a 4.6% increase in the number of National Health System service locations providing intensive support for smoking cessation. There was an increase in the dispensing of first-line drugs in community pharmacies to support smoking cessation [3]
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