Electronic nicotine delivery systems (e-cigarettes) as a smoking cessation aid: a survey among pharmacy staff in Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Introduction: With the growing popularity and use of e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking, it is essential that pharmacists have adequate knowledge in order to guide their customers in making evidence-based decisions.

Aims: This study examined views of pharmacy staff regarding the safety of e-cigarettes compared to nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) and conventional cigarettes, their knowledge toward current regulation of e-cigarettes and attitudes toward how they should be regulated.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among pharmacy staff (64 pharmacists and 76 pharmacy assistants) from the greater Brisbane region, Queensland, Australia. The self-administered questionnaire included closed- and open-ended questions. Pearson’s chi-square test was employed for computing differences between variables. A content analysis of responses to open-ended questions was also performed.

Results: Over 90% of pharmacy staff regarded e-cigarettes without nicotine and NRTs as less harmful than regular tobacco cigarettes. This reduced to 72% for e-cigarettes containing nicotine, with 24% of respondents believing they are equally as harmful as conventional cigarettes. Moreover, few respondents were confident about the short and long term safety of e-cigarettes containing nicotine (36% and 15% respectively) whereas pharmacy staff were more comfortable with the safety of NRTs for short (88%) and long term (35%) use. The majority of respondents believed that e-cigarettes with nicotine should be regulated as a medicine, either requiring a prescription (24%) or sold only by pharmacies (22%), though many believed that they should be regulated in the same way as regular tobacco cigarettes (27%). Some pharmacy staff (39%) reported having been asked about e-cigarettes by customers and 75% believed that their customers would be interested in using e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid.

Discussion: Our results suggest that consumers expect pharmacy staff to be aware of these products as participants in our study reported receiving client inquiries about e-cigarettes. Thus, evidence-based and customised educational intervention (such as a practice guideline) for pharmacists about e-cigarettes would be useful.