The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7475 p461
27 October 2007

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Government report advocates expansion of pharmacy smoking cessation services

Commissioners of stop smoking services are reminded of the potential for partnerships with pharmacy in a Department of Health publication released last week.

The guidance document on provision and monitoring of NHS stop smoking services says: “Pharmacies have a good track record of providing stop smoking services to the general public. They are ideally placed to provide this service, based in the heart of communities and accessible to those people who may not access GPs.”

The publication continues: “Commissioners should be encouraged to commission services from pharmacies and should continue to work in partnership with them.” It adds that pharmacy smoking cessation services should be expanded, where possible, to improve public access.

The report also deals with the need for stop smoking service providers to be rigorous when reporting the number of smokers entering treatment and in deciding who has successfully quit after four weeks. The document says that the purpose of such data monitoring is to evaluate the effectiveness and reach of NHS stop smoking interventions, not a mechanism for counting all people who have stopped smoking.

“Quits that have not been the result of structured stop smoking intervention … should not be included,” it says.