Pharmacist-managed tobacco cessation program in Veterans Health Administration community-based outpatient clinic

Abstract

Objective: To describe an ongoing pharmacist-managed tobacco cessation clinic and assess the long-term effectiveness of the program.

Setting: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) community-based outpatient clinic in Missoula, Montana.

Participants: Pharmacy professor/clinical pharmacy specialist, advanced pharmacy practice experience students, and tobacco cessation participants.

Practice description: Ongoing, pharmacist-managed tobacco cessation program offered to veterans.

Practice innovation: With use of the "Vets without Cigarettes" program developed by the Montana VHA and the most current strategies reported in the literature, the clinical pharmacy specialist and pharmacy students provide tobacco cessation services for Missoula Veterans Affairs Primary Care Center veterans. Activities include a three-session program using the Transtheoretical Model of Change, tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy, behavioral strategies, cognitive techniques, documentation, and follow-up survey.

Main outcome measure: Percentage of veterans contacted reporting tobacco abstinence.

Results: Follow-up survey results were obtained for 130 (87.8%) of 148 veterans attending one or more sessions of the tobacco cessation class between November 1999 and December 2003. Of the 130 veterans contacted, 54 (41.5%) continued to be tobacco free.

Conclusion: This program demonstrates that pharmacists are effective providers of tobacco cessation services. Furthermore, a comprehensive tobacco cessation program is provided that can serve as a model to guide pharmacists in assisting more patients to become tobacco free and live healthier lifestyles.