Engaging Physicians and Pharmacists in Providing Smoking Cessation Counseling

Abstract

Health care providers are well positioned to identify and address tobacco use among patients. Studies have shown that even brief counseling by health care providers increases smoking cessation rates,¹ yet fewer than 50% of patients who smoke receivecessation counseling and treatment during physician office visits.² The Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, 2008 Update: Clinical Practice Guideline¹ provides evidence-based recommendations for tobacco cessation treatment. The Clinical Practice Guideline states that clinicians should ask about tobacco use at every patient visit, advise those who use tobacco to quit, assess readiness to quit, assist with quitting, and arrange follow-up. These activities represent the “5 A’s” model: ask, advise, assess, assist, and arrange (follow-up).