Manitoba Pharmacists

Yourhealthcarepartner. londondrugs.com Herearesomeofthehealthandwellness servicesourteamisproudtoprovide: LondonDrugsSt.VitalCentre 1225St.Mary'sRoad, Winnipeg Phone:(204)253-2696 • Pillpacks • Medicationreviewservice • Compressionstockingsfitting • Freeprescriptiontransfers • VaccinesandimmunizationsbyCertifiedInjection Pharmacists(Callfordetails) • Quitsmokingprogram • Rentalprogram,includingcrutches,nebulizers, sleepwatch,electricbreastpumpsandmore Monday–Saturday: 9am–10pm Sunday: 10am–6pm 03 YOUR HEALTH YOUR PHARMACIST Pharmacists help smokers kick the habit By JenniFer mcFee f you're looking to kick your nicotine habit, pharmacists are well equipped to help you butt out. Brenna Shearer, executive director of the Mani- toba Society of Pharmacists, explains that smok- ing cessation or reduction often begins with a conversation at a pharmacy. "It starts with the relationship that a pharmacist and a patient have and the disclosure that maybe they'd like to stop or cut back," she says. "The pharmacist is very skilled at knowing which over-the-counter or prescription products will help individuals based on their health or oth- er medications they're taking. Many of them are also trained in smoking cessation strategies." During their discussion, pharmacists ask patients if they are ready to quit and whether they have supports around them to help with the process. "All health-care professionals talk about lifestyle, choices, readiness to quit and barriers to quit- ting, but the pharmacist knows what medications you're on," Shearer says. "They can talk with you about what seems to work and what doesn't seem to work. They'll ask if you want gum, if you want a pill, if you want be- havioural modification practices. It's a big blend." Thanks to their ease of accessibility, pharmacists play a significant role in promoting healthy be- havioural changes, Shearer adds. "Pharmacists have always been able to provide smoking cessation counselling, but with new leg- islation adding on prescribing authority, they now can give even more service to a patient," she says. "There is additional training and qualifications that have to be obtained in order to do the as- sessment and prescribing of medication, with a separate set for smoking cessation. They're very, very educated." Pharmacist Trevor Shewfelt of Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy says smokers can visit any pharmacy in Manitoba to learn about options for quitting. "Any pharmacist can help you with nicotine re- placement," he says. "That is gum and inhalers and sprays that basical- ly put some of the nicotine back in your system." With extra training, pharmacists can prescribe a brand-name drug called Champix, also known by its generic name of varenicline. "The varenicline goes into the nicotine recep- tors and stimulates them a little bit so the with- drawals aren't so bad," he explains. "But it also stops nicotine from getting in there, so if you were to smoke while on the Champix, it wouldn't do anything for you." Shewfelt has seen the impact of quitting the habit first-hand through his involvement in a smoking cessation pilot project led by Manitoba pharmacists. In the yearlong initiative, 15 pharmacies re- cruited 110 patients to receive smoking cessation services and products from pharmacists. The pilot project is now in its final phase to determine how the participants fared with their commitments to quit or reduce smoking. "We picked low-income people in Manitoba be- cause statistically they have a higher smoking rate. The nice part about the program is if you were on social assistance, you could have any of your smoking cessation products paid for by Manitoba Health, which is fantastic. That was a huge barrier to overcome for an economically disadvantaged group," he says. "We actually put them through a formal pro- gram and then the pharmacists would get reim- bursed for their time. We had lots of positive feedback from the patients in the program. It worked well. The patients loved the interaction with the pharmacist. We think that this is a great thing for Manitobans and we hope that it goes beyond the pilot project stage." Work is also underway to implement an elec- tronic version of the program, he adds. "The more people who quit smoking long term, the more it helps Manitoba Health's budget as well." ■ I "All health-care professionals talk about lifestyle, choices, readiness to quit and barriers to quitting, but the pharmacist knows what medications you're on."

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