Evaluation of a pharmacist-managed smoking cessation clinic

Objectives: At Mercy Family Health Center, a smoking cessation clinic is managed by the clinical pharmacists in collaboration with physicians.  The group program is based on the “Courage to Quit” program designed by Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago.  The participants progress through six sessions over seven weeks.  Each session is designed to teach participants the fundamentals of behavioral and pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation.  Pharmacotherapy is selected for each participant based on medical history, smoking history, past quit attempts, and financial status.  All patients who attended the class have been followed via monthly phone calls.  The aim is to describe abstinence rates for patients in the smoking cessation clinic.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of all patients who attended the pharmacist-managed smoking cessation clinic since implementation in September 2009 was conducted. Patient demographics including age, gender, tobacco history were collected. Point prevalence and continued abstinence rates at 1, 2 weeks; 1, 3 and 6 months; and 1 year were collected.  Not all participants have fully completed one year past their quit date; abstinence rates are determined based on the number of patients who have surpassed that time point since their original quit date.

Results: Twenty-three patients have participated since implementation. Approximately 65% were female with an average age of 59.7 years.   The 1 month, 3 month, 6 month and 1 year point prevalence rates were 65.2% (n=23), 66.7% (n=18), 55.6% (n=18), and 77.8% (n=9), respectively.  The 1 month, 3 month, 6 month and 1 year continuous abstinence rates were 43.5% (n=23), 38.9% (n=18), 33.3% (n=18), and 44.4% (n=9), respectively.

Conclusion:  This group smoking cessation program managed by pharmacists has maintained long-term abstinence rates.  Collaboration with physicians allows the pharmacists to offer pharmacological therapy to participants in addition to behavioral modification counseling through the “Courage to Quit” curriculum.