Advice on using over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy-patch, gum, or lozenge-to quit smoking

Although the use of over the counter (OTC) nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is effective for smoking cessation, many concerns and misunderstandings persist that may reduce the effectiveness of NRT. Clinical practice and public health experts responded to a questionnaire that explored challenges associated with promoting proper NRT use and gathered recommendations on overcoming these challenges. Two predominant themes emerged including the identification of policies and practices that hinder NRT use, and smokers' views regarding NRT use. To address these needs, a two-part consensus statement about the use of OTC NRT to quit smoking was developed. The first part of the consensus statement identifies policy issues. The second part of the consensus statement was developed for smokers to reduce misperceptions and concerns about NRT by providing information on safety and the most effective use of NRT. The statement integrates state of the art clinical practice guidelines in a patient-centered format and presents information for policy makers to effectively support quit attempts. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.