Service Available from the Pharmacy

As part of its core public health service, community pharmacy delivers around 70% of all NHS stop smoking attempts in Scotland and the pharmacy network has made a crucial contribution towards public health targets to reduce smoking rates to below 5% by 2034, as set out in current tobacco control policy. The service is delivered against a specification which has developed over the years to include potential for offering the most appropriate nicotine replacement products free to all people living in Scotland as well as other products to aid the quit smoking attempt such as Varenicline (previously only available on prescription, but can be supplied in a pharmacy via a patient group direction [PGD]). Those who do not wish to use a product during their quit attempt can be supported as well as emphasising that where a client has had several quit attempts a discussion should be initiated as to which NHS cessation service was the most appropriate for their need