Student BMJ April 1999: Letters
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| Robert Bunney General practitioner Brannam Medical Centre, Barnstaple, Devon EX32 8QB |
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Paying for nicotine replacement therapy is cheaper than smoking 20 cigarettesand under a day
Editor -
Fowler and Smeeth propose making nicotine replacement therapy available
on the NHS, believing its high retail price remains prohibitive to many
people.(1) In the Cochrane systematic review of 47 trials including 23,000 patients,
nicotine replacement therapy doubled smoking cessation rates at 6-12 months
compared with placebo.(2) The editorial overlooks the fact that smokers save money even while paying
for their nicotine replacement therapy. This should be borne in mind before
yet more pressure is added to the already strained NHS prescribing budget,
and motivated smokers who are using the skills of community pharmacists
are encouraged to involve their general practitioner instead.
Reference
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