Services Database Stop Smoking Services (West Kent Area)

The service to be provided is a level 2 stop smoking service which involves multi-session interventions with a total potential client contact time being a minimum of 1.5 hours from pre quit preparation to 4-weeks post quit. This will involve offering weekly support to individuals committing to quit smoking from their quit date until they have been quit for 4-weeks or until they relapse, if this is less than 4-weeks after the quit date. 

An initial assessment will be provided where a quit date will be set and all available pharmacotherapy options discussed (nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion or varenicline). Patients who wish to use bupropion or varenicline should be enrolled for support only, their medication will be provided by their GP subject to medical suitability.

Following the initial assessment weekly client contact should be provided, preferably face to face, (telephone contact is acceptable if face to face is not possible). Each contact will offer on-going behavioural support, the monitoring of carbon monoxide levels and the discussion of treatment effectiveness.  

A face to face consultation should be standard practice at the 4-week review which must take place between 25 to 42 days after the quit date to CO verify patients’ quit status.  Clients whose follow-up dates fall outside this time range may not be counted.  Arrangements for the remaining course of treatment should also be made, but are dependant on the individual remaining quit.

The pharmacy contractor must send all persons who will be running stop smoking services to the NHS Stop Smoking level 2-intervention training.  Only persons who have undergone the intervention training can carry out one-to-one stop smoking clinics under this service level agreement.  Trained advisors must undertake yearly update training to keep their knowledge up to date and to remain providing a stop smoking service.