Smoking cessation
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Providing more "pharmacological options to smokers can increase the number of treatment-assisted quit attempts," CDC editors state in the July 28 Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report. A study examining sales of Rx and OTC smoking cessation items - patches, gums, inhalers, nasal sprays and non-nicotine Rx drugs - shows the number of smokers attempting to quit using drug therapy increases when a new product is introduced and when existing products are switched to OTC status. Conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, the study was sponsored by Nicorette and NicoDerm CQ marketer SmithKline Beecham. The editors note the report is based on sales rather than actual usage, that Rx and OTC sales are not tallied the same way and that externalities such as cigarette price increases and public policy were not considered