Retail Pharmacists Providing Tobacco Treatment - Are We turning a Corner?

Audience:

Individuals interested in provider training, pharmacy-based interventions, organizational partnerships, or cessation opportunities.

Key Points:

Walgreens pharmacies in Kentucky  (leading smoking rates in the U.S.) and Indiana, partnered with Kentucky Cancer Program (KCP) at the University of Louisville and Passport Health Plan for a tobacco treatment pilot project.  For the first time, Walgreens required all of its pharmacists in two districts, and pharmacy technicians to receive comprehensive training from KCP to prepare them for addressing tobacco use with pharmacy patients.

Pharmacists have been underutilized to intervene with/counsel patients, and while student training on this crucial topic has increased, less has been achieved with practicing pharmacists.  Efforts have relied on the interest of individual pharmacists to acquire continuing education, who even then, may be hampered in their ability to implement recommended approaches due to work  limitations.  The support from Walgreens not only to provide necessary training to pharmacists and staff but also to foster the work environment for counseling all patients about tobacco use, could allow first-time treatment to patients.

Educational Experience:

A description of the partnership, trainings, and resulting pharmacy system processes will be provided.  The poster will also include patient data, qualitative feedback from pharmacists and technicians on implementation, and lessons learned.

Benefits:

Participants will learn key elements of a potential opportunity to incorporate retail pharmacists and technicians in the provision of tobacco treatment to patients who have not had appropriate intervention or who could benefit from the additional expertise of pharmacists in medications typically essential for successful abstinence.