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Letters to the Editor
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Smoking cessation
Pharmacists have a proactive role
From Ms M. Armstrong
PharmacyHealthLink would like to clarify the situation regarding National
Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance as reported in
The Pharmaceutical Journal (8 April, p409).
PharmacyHealthLink has concerns that this guidance does not reflect pharmacists’ proactive
role in smoking cessation, for instance, pharmacists raising the topic
of smoking when
someone is asking for a cough medicine.
Although we recognise — as quoted in your report — that NICE
is supportive of the reactive role of pharmacists in smoking cessation,
eg, giving advice on stopping smoking to someone purchasing nicotine
replacement therapy — this is only part of the role that pharmacists’ play
in helping people to stop.
Not only does the NICE guidance not reflect pharmacists’ proactive
role in advising on health issues under the new contract, it also potentially
reduces the effectiveness of future mass media interventions. Public
awareness campaigns such as the Government’s Stop Smoking and No
Smoking Day campaigns require the support of pharmacists and other health
care professionals (such as dentists) to raise awareness proactively
and to encourage people to quit smoking in order to maximise effectiveness.
We think that the confusion may arise from the use of the word “opportunistic”,
which most people interpret as meaning both proactive and reactive. But
the NICE guidance only endorses the pharmacists’ reactive role.
We understand, however, that NICE is now reconsidering this specific
issue and will respond to us shortly.
Miriam Armstrong
Chief Executive
PharmacyHealthLink
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal