The Pharmacist's Role: Why the Most Accessible Healthcare Professional Should Be a Cessation Resource
Pharmacists are among the most accessible healthcare professionals—and they're barely used for smoking cessation. Training pharmacists to provide brief cessation counseling and recommend NRT would expand access dramatically.
A smoker walks into a pharmacy to buy cigarettes—or NRT, or a vaping product. Behind the counter is a pharmacist—a trained healthcare professional who could provide brief cessation counseling, recommend appropriate pharmacotherapy, and refer to additional support. **This almost never happens. Pharmacists are underutilized in smoking cessation—despite being among the most accessible healthcare professionals, particularly in underserved communities. Training and empowering pharmacists to support cessation would expand access dramatically.**
