Stop Smoking support

Information

Quit Your Way – Stop Smoking Support

Quit Your Way NHS Lothian is an advice and support service for anyone trying to stop smoking in Lothian. Services are delivered in the community at a variety of venues or via Community Pharmacy.

Engaging with stop smoking services can greatly increase the chance of successfully quitting tobacco and staying stopped.

Community service

Trained advisors work across primary and secondary health care settings and offer:

• One-to-one support
• Group sessions
• Telephone support

Behavioural change support and medication including nicotine replacement therapy or varenicline are offered where appropriate.

What happens when a patient referred to Quit your Way?

When patients are referred to Quit Your Way, practitioners will conduct an initial assessment, including discussing medical history, behavioural aspects of smoking and stop smoking medications.

Patients who wish to use nicotine replacement will have this arranged through their chosen pharmacy.

For patients who wish to take varenicline, a varenicline checklist will be completed.

**PLEASE NOTE: QYW practitioners do not have access to patients’ complete medical history and must rely on the information provided by patients, assuming it is accurate and comprehensive**

 The completed checklist will be emailed together with a referral to consider varenicline. This will be sent to GP clinical mailbox for review by a prescriber.

GP or other non-medical prescribers will review patient’s medical records, to assess suitability for varenicline, before issuing a prescription.

QYW practitioners will provide ongoing support, regularly review patient progress and request additional prescriptions to complete 12-week treatment course as required.

Community Pharmacy (self-referral)

Patients can attend their local community pharmacy to get support to stop smoking. Pharmacists can provide advice, supply nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or varenicline, and offer personalised one‑to‑one support through a 12‑week programme. This service is provided free of charge.

 More info– https://www.nhsinform.scot/scotlands-service-directory/health-and-wellbeing-services/13724%201edc1116/

M.A. & S.K. 17-06-26