Cost Free Pharmacotherapy for Smoking Cessation in Stroke Patients

DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. METHODS: All patients seen at the Ottawa Hospital Stroke Prevention Clinic were screened for smoking status, advised to quit smoking and treated using a standardized protocol including counselling and pharmacotherapy. Eligible smokers were randomly assigned to either a prescription only usual care group, or, the experimental group who received a 4-week supply of cost-free quit smoking medications and prescription for medication renewal. All patients received follow-up counselling 7-days prior to and 5, 14, 30, 60, 90, 180 days following their quit attempt. Levels of eligibility, consent, adherence and retention were used as indicators of study feasibility. The primary outcome was bio-chemically validated quit rates at 26-weeks.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients were eligible to participate in the study if they reported smoking an average of 5 or more cigarettes per day in past 3 months; were 18 years of age or older; were willing to set a quit date in the next 30 days; and were willing to use a quit smoking medication.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients who were unable to read and understand English or French or who had contraindications to all approved smoking cessation medications (nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion, and varenicline) were excluded from the study.