Abstract
Aims and background. According to recent assessments from the Italian Istituto Superiore della Sanità, information and assistance to smokers are still far from satisfactory. We evaluated the impact of a new smoking cessation service located in pharmacies. Smokers' individual characteristics were also considered. Material and methods. A 1-year pilot study was carried out from October 2010 to September 2011. Five pharmacies in Milan were selected. A psychologist with experience in smoking cessation was present in each pharmacy one afternoon per week, and pharmacists were trained by a team from the Antismoking Center of the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori. Each pharmacy was equipped with informative material, carbon monoxide analyzers, and motivational and nicotine dependence questionnaires, in addition to a clinical briefcase. Counseling sessions were also arranged upon request. Results. In the first 12 months of activity, 216 persons asked for a consultation. The sample, aged 15-79 years, reported the following median values: 30 pack/years, 14 ppm CO, and a Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence score of 5. More than one-third of the sample (40.3%) had one pathology and 25% had more than one. In some cases (15.7%), people just wanted information about what the service offered. For those who tried to quit, smoking cessation rates were 33.3% at 3 months, 28% at 6 months, and 24.6% at 1 year. Three kinds of pharmacologic therapies were suggested to smokers: nicotine replacement therapy (75.5%), varenicline (17.5%), and bupropion (7%). Conclusions. The results show that an accessible and free smoking cessation service is considered useful by smokers as demonstrated by the large number of requests compared with other smoking centers in Italy. Increased involvement of pharmacists in supporting smoking cessation makes this a promising initiative for the near future.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 578-582 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Tumori |
| Volume | 99 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sep 2013 |
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Keywords
- Pharmacy
- Prevention
- Smoking cessation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cancer Research
- Oncology
Cite this
Antismoking centers in Milan's communal pharmacies : Analysis of the 2010-2011 campaign. / Munarini, Elena; Marabelli, Chiara; Marmotti, Aldo; Gardiner, Anna; Invernizzi, Giovanni; Mazza, Roberto; De Marco, Cinzia; Pozzi, Paolo; Boffi, Roberto.
In: Tumori, Vol. 99, No. 5, 09.2013, p. 578-582.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Antismoking centers in Milan's communal pharmacies
T2 - Analysis of the 2010-2011 campaign
AU - Munarini, Elena
AU - Marabelli, Chiara
AU - Marmotti, Aldo
AU - Gardiner, Anna
AU - Invernizzi, Giovanni
AU - Mazza, Roberto
AU - De Marco, Cinzia
AU - Pozzi, Paolo
AU - Boffi, Roberto
PY - 2013/9
Y1 - 2013/9
N2 - Aims and background. According to recent assessments from the Italian Istituto Superiore della Sanità, information and assistance to smokers are still far from satisfactory. We evaluated the impact of a new smoking cessation service located in pharmacies. Smokers' individual characteristics were also considered. Material and methods. A 1-year pilot study was carried out from October 2010 to September 2011. Five pharmacies in Milan were selected. A psychologist with experience in smoking cessation was present in each pharmacy one afternoon per week, and pharmacists were trained by a team from the Antismoking Center of the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori. Each pharmacy was equipped with informative material, carbon monoxide analyzers, and motivational and nicotine dependence questionnaires, in addition to a clinical briefcase. Counseling sessions were also arranged upon request. Results. In the first 12 months of activity, 216 persons asked for a consultation. The sample, aged 15-79 years, reported the following median values: 30 pack/years, 14 ppm CO, and a Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence score of 5. More than one-third of the sample (40.3%) had one pathology and 25% had more than one. In some cases (15.7%), people just wanted information about what the service offered. For those who tried to quit, smoking cessation rates were 33.3% at 3 months, 28% at 6 months, and 24.6% at 1 year. Three kinds of pharmacologic therapies were suggested to smokers: nicotine replacement therapy (75.5%), varenicline (17.5%), and bupropion (7%). Conclusions. The results show that an accessible and free smoking cessation service is considered useful by smokers as demonstrated by the large number of requests compared with other smoking centers in Italy. Increased involvement of pharmacists in supporting smoking cessation makes this a promising initiative for the near future.
AB - Aims and background. According to recent assessments from the Italian Istituto Superiore della Sanità, information and assistance to smokers are still far from satisfactory. We evaluated the impact of a new smoking cessation service located in pharmacies. Smokers' individual characteristics were also considered. Material and methods. A 1-year pilot study was carried out from October 2010 to September 2011. Five pharmacies in Milan were selected. A psychologist with experience in smoking cessation was present in each pharmacy one afternoon per week, and pharmacists were trained by a team from the Antismoking Center of the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori. Each pharmacy was equipped with informative material, carbon monoxide analyzers, and motivational and nicotine dependence questionnaires, in addition to a clinical briefcase. Counseling sessions were also arranged upon request. Results. In the first 12 months of activity, 216 persons asked for a consultation. The sample, aged 15-79 years, reported the following median values: 30 pack/years, 14 ppm CO, and a Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence score of 5. More than one-third of the sample (40.3%) had one pathology and 25% had more than one. In some cases (15.7%), people just wanted information about what the service offered. For those who tried to quit, smoking cessation rates were 33.3% at 3 months, 28% at 6 months, and 24.6% at 1 year. Three kinds of pharmacologic therapies were suggested to smokers: nicotine replacement therapy (75.5%), varenicline (17.5%), and bupropion (7%). Conclusions. The results show that an accessible and free smoking cessation service is considered useful by smokers as demonstrated by the large number of requests compared with other smoking centers in Italy. Increased involvement of pharmacists in supporting smoking cessation makes this a promising initiative for the near future.
KW - Pharmacy
KW - Prevention
KW - Smoking cessation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84893440840&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1700/1377.15305
DO - 10.1700/1377.15305
M3 - Article
VL - 99
SP - 578
EP - 582
JO - Tumori
JF - Tumori
SN - 0300-8916
IS - 5
ER -