Do Pharmacy Staff Recommend Evidenced-based Smoking Cessation Products? A Pseudo Patron Study
Overview
Pharmacy
Authors
Affiliations
Objective: To determine whether pharmacy staff recommend evidence-based smoking cessation aids.
Methods: Pseudo patron visit to 50 randomly selected Sydney pharmacies where the pseudo patron enquired about the 'best' way to quit smoking and about the efficacy of a non-evidence-based cessation product, NicoBloc.
Results: Nicotine replacement therapy was universally stocked and the first product recommended by 90% of pharmacies. After prompting, 60% of pharmacies, either also recommended NicoBloc or deferred to 'customer choice'. About 34% disparaged the product.
Conclusions: Evidence-based smoking cessation advice in Sydney pharmacies is fragile and may be compromised by commercial concerns. Smokers should be provided with independent point-of-sale summaries of evidence of cessation product effectiveness and warned about unsubstantiated claims.
Saffouh El Hajj M, Awaisu A, Kheir N, Mohamed M, Haddad R, Saleh R Trials. 2019; 20(1):25.
PMID: 30621772 PMC: 6324165. DOI: 10.1186/s13063-018-3068-7.
Community pharmacists' experiences in mental illness and addictions care: a qualitative study.
Murphy A, Phelan H, Haslam S, Martin-Misener R, Kutcher S, Gardner D Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2016; 11:6.
PMID: 26821700 PMC: 4730654. DOI: 10.1186/s13011-016-0050-9.
Saba M, Diep J, Bittoun R, Saini B Int J Clin Pharm. 2014; 36(3):604-14.
PMID: 24718946 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-014-9944-7.
Smoking cessation in community pharmacy practice-a clinical information needs analysis.
Saba M, Bittoun R, Kritikos V, Saini B Springerplus. 2013; 2:449.
PMID: 24058894 PMC: 3777019. DOI: 10.1186/2193-1801-2-449.
The global research neglect of unassisted smoking cessation: causes and consequences.
Chapman S, MacKenzie R PLoS Med. 2010; 7(2):e1000216.
PMID: 20161722 PMC: 2817714. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000216.