Cost Free Pharmacotherapy for Smoking Cessation in Stroke Patients

• smoking abstinence [ Time Frame: 6-months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  The dependent variables of primary interest were measured at 26 weeks and included: (1) bio-chemically confirmed 7-day point prevalence abstinence; and (2) continuous abstinence since TQD. Participants who were not available for follow-up were considered smokers. At the 26 week follow-up, all patients who reported being abstinent from smoking had their smoking status confirmed by measurement of a CO sample. If any CO was >10 ppm, the subject was considered a smoker.
  
  

• quit attempts [ Time Frame: 6-months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  At the 26 week follow-up assessments patient quit attempts in the previous six months of 24 hours or longer were documented.
  
  
• adherence with intervention [ Time Frame: 6-months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  During the 26-week telephone follow-up assessment patient adherence with pharmacotherapy was assessed by evaluating the number of doses of pharmacotherapy consumed within the prescribed study interval. The telephone counsellor recorded the completion of all seven counselling sessions in order to assess patient adherence.
  
  

DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. METHODS: All patients seen at the Ottawa Hospital Stroke Prevention Clinic were screened for smoking status, advised to quit smoking and treated using a standardized protocol including counselling and pharmacotherapy. Eligible smokers were randomly assigned to either a prescription only usual care group, or, the experimental group who received a 4-week supply of cost-free quit smoking medications and prescription for medication renewal. All patients received follow-up counselling 7-days prior to and 5, 14, 30, 60, 90, 180 days following their quit attempt. Levels of eligibility, consent, adherence and retention were used as indicators of study feasibility. The primary outcome was bio-chemically validated quit rates at 26-weeks.