HealthCare Answer

Role of the pharmacist in relation to the health promotion  The pharmacist is the first port of call for many health concerns due to easy accessibility to high quality, low expense expertise.  Advice for quitting smoking is no exception, particularly for customers in the pharmacy who have no other apparent reason to see their GP.  Pharmacists are in the ideal position to help at any stage of quitting smoking:
- Identifying smokers and encourage quitting by highlighting its health benefits, reinforcing that it is never too late to quit - Provide information and motivation for those willing to quit - Assistance in selecting the right NRT products for individualised treatment - Counsel on what to expect while quitting and how to overcome barriers such as withdrawal and cravings. - Checking any drug interaction that may occur with quitting (altered metabolism) - Support during the entire quitting journey - Referral to other services such as their GP or Quitline.