Pharmacotherapy for tobacco dependence

Abstract

Pharmacotherapy can provide effective treatment of tobacco dependence and withdrawal, and thereby facilitate efforts to achieve and sustain tobacco abstinence. Currently approved medications for smoking cessation are nicotine replacement medications (NRT), including nicotine patch, gum, lozenge, sublin-gual tablet, inhaler and nasal spray, the antidepressant bupropion, and the nicotinic partial agonist varenicline. This review discusses the pharmacological basis for the use of these medications, and the properties that might contribute to their efficacy, safety, and abuse liability. The review also discusses how pharmacological principles can be used to improve existing medications, as well as assist in the development of new medications. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.