Promoting Tobacco Cessation in the Community Pharmacy

Pharmacist Learning Objectives At the conclusion of this continuing education activity, the participant will be able to:

1. Identify the burden of tobacco and tobacco-related illness in the US, both in terms of economic costs and health outcomes

2. Identify counseling points for patients who smoke using the AAR and the 5A’s and recommend appropriate therapy as well as vaccinations

3. Enumerate ways that pharmacists can implement smoking cessation services in community settings

Pharmacy Technician Learning Objectives At the conclusion of this continuing education activity, the participant will be able to:

1. Identify ways the pharmacy technician can participate in community-based smoking cessation services

2. Identify the AAR and 5A model for counseling on smoking cessation and what steps technicians can assist with

3. List the major categories of smoking cessation treatments on the market

Every year, smoking kills an estimated 480,000 Americans and costs $300 billion. As of 2018, 34 million Americans smoked cigarettes and community pharmacies are in a unique position to provide evidence-based interventions to drive down rates of tobacco use and save lives. In many rural areas, for example, where smoking rates are the highest, the community pharmacist is the sole access point for healthcare services. It is critical that pharmacists and technicians working in community pharmacies understand the role they can play in reducing tobacco use and to be able to implement evidence-based interventions.