Aim
To evaluate the cost-effectiveness and effect on patient care of introducing nicotine inhalers as a second-line NRT option in inpatient mental health units across the Metro South Hospital and Health Service.
Benefits
A cost-effective therapeutic intervention for mental health patients.
Background
Metro South Hospitals are smoke free. Prevalence of smokers is high (>50%) in Mental Health wards. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is available and prescribed in hospital to reduce the patients’ motivation to smoke, prevent nicotine withdrawals from temporary tobacco cessation, and achieve long term abstinence, however have poor acceptance rates. There are multiple forms of NRT approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for use within Australia, these include: Patches, Gum, Inhalers, Lozenges, oral spray and oral strips. Due to cost effectiveness, NRT patches and gum are the only forms available on hospital ward imprests without any restrictions. Anecdotal reports claim that novel dosage forms of NRT such as the nicotine inhaler, might provide a good approach to achieve long term cessation rates, especially in heavy smokers as the inhaler imitates the hand-to-mouth action associated with tobacco smoking and provides the patient with nicotine replacement.
