Pharmacist-led smoking cessation program prompts quit attempts, IBD medication use

A smoking cessation program led by a pharmacist in a specialty medical home is feasible and may even lead to successful quit attempts and improved use of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) medications, suggest the results of a study.

One pharmacist in an IBD Specialty Medical Home designed and implemented a collaborative drug therapy management (CDTM) program, allowing the healthcare provider to initiate and modify smoking cessation aids, monitor medication safety and efficacy, and provide behavioural counseling.

Thirty-two patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) who were current smokers and referred to the program were eligible for analysis. The authors then assessed clinical and demographic data, disease activity, and smoking history.

The proportion of patients in the enrolled group and the declined group who quit smoking at least once during the follow-up period was the primary outcome. Secondary ones included demographic and clinical differences between enrolled and declined patients, and enrolled quitters and nonquitters.

Of the patients, 19 participated in the program. Less than half (eight out of 19, 42 percent) of the enrolled participants quit smoking at least once over a median follow-up period of 305 days. Two out of 13 declined patients (15 percent) also quit smoking.

Participants who continued smoking had greater instances of loss of response to a biologic, need to start a new biologic, or escalation of biologic therapy. Of note, the CDTM pharmacist provided all the necessary clinical services for smokers enrolled in the program.

“Cigarette smoking is associated with disease progression, poor outcomes, and increased biologic use in CD,” the authors said.