Evaluation of a pharmacy supported e-cigarette smoking cessation intervention in Northwest England

Abstract

Background: Cigarette smoking cessation has been described as the world's most important public health intervention. Electronic cigarettes are a relatively new tool for assisting smoking cessation but there is a lack of data on their efficacy. This article reports on a pharmacy supported e-cigarette smoking cessation intervention undertaken in a metropolitan area in the north of England.

Methods: Longitudinal mixed-methods evaluation incorporating analysis of secondary data, interviews with service users, and interviews with service providers at 3-month and 12-month follow-up, with an additional text message survey of service users at 12-month follow-up.

Results: The four-week follow-up data suggest that for every twenty people given an e-cigarette, six quit smoking tobacco and three people cut their cigarette intake by more than five cigarettes per day. Long-term follow-up results were positive but only a small number of participants were still engaged with the study at 12 months. Service users and providers spoke positively about the combination of e-cigarettes and pharmacy support.

Conclusions: E-cigarette distribution combined with pharmacy support appears to be an agreeable and effective intervention for smoking cessation, but further data are needed on long-term quit rates and health effects.

Keywords: Community intervention; E-cigarettes; Electronic cigarettes; Longitudinal; Mixed-methods; Pharmacy; Smoking cessation.

Fig. 1

Flow chart of pharmacy clients through the first and second stages

Fig. 2

Text message survey options (phase 2)

Fig. 3

Outcome of text message survey at 12 months (phase 2)