The pharmacist's role in smoking cessation counseling: Perceptions of users of nonprescription nicotine replacement therapy

Objectives: To characterize nonprescription nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) users with respect to sociodemographic characteristics, tobacco use history, and support for tobacco cessation received from health care professionals; assess the methods used for quitting (past and present) by NRT users; assess NRT users' perceptions of the need for and usefulness of pharmacist-facilitated cessation interventions; and determine the types of pharmacy-based interventions that would be most helpful before and during quit attempts. Design: One-time attitudinal assessment. Setting: Primarily Northern California. Participants: One hundred three individuals who had recently purchased nonprescription NRT products for use during their current or upcoming quit attempt. Intervention: In-depth telephone interviews. Main Outcome Measure: Perceptions of pharmacy-based tobacco cessation counseling services. Results: The concept of pharmacist-facilitated assistance was appealing to many NRT users. Sixty-three percent of participants believed that receiving advice or assistance from a pharmacist would either probably (46%) or definitely (17%) increase a smoker's likelihood of being able to quit. Twenty-one percent were unsure, and 16% thought pharmacist assistance would not increase the chance of success. Forty-six percent reported that they would be either very or extremely likely to meet with a pharmacist for one-on-one counseling if a nominal ($10) co-payment were required; this percentage increased to 68% if the service were provided free of charge. The preferred structure for counseling interventions varied widely among participants, suggesting that individually tailored counseling programs are necessary. Conclusion: A substantial proportion of nonprescription NRT users view pharmacist-assisted cessation as an appealing approach to smoking cessation.