Bridging the Gap in Tobacco Cessation Services: Utilizing Community Pharmacists to Facilitate Transitions of Care in the USA

Abstract

Interprofessional strategies for promoting tobacco cessation lead to enhanced quit rates among patients; however, current approaches might not effectively support patients with their quit attempts after they are discharged from the hospital. This paper explores opportunities for interprofessional collaboration between health system–based providers and community pharmacists, as one proposed approach to bridging tobacco cessation services during transitions of care. Suggested strategies include (1) increasing other healthcare professionals’ awareness of legislative advances that permit pharmacists to prescribe cessation medications in some states, and (2) encouraging bi-directional communication between health system–based and community-based providers, especially via integrated electronic health records. Community pharmacists can offer a convenient solution to obtain the post-discharge medication and counseling support that patients need to increase their chances of quitting for good. Additional steps are discussed to improve broadscale capacity of this service being provided in community pharmacies.