Nicotine replacement therapy practices in Finland one year after deregulation of the product sales--has anything changed from the community pharmacy perspective?

OBJECTIVE: According to the Finnish national Current Care Guideline of smoking cessation (SC), pharmacists' task is to support rational and safe use of NRT products. In 2006, the Medical Act releasing NRT from pharmacy only to general sales was amended. This study assesses the Finnish pharmacy owners' and staff pharmacists' perceptions of NRT products' role and usage patterns about a year after the deregulation. METHODS: A nationwide survey was conducted, targeting every second Finnish pharmacy owner and staff pharmacist (n=2291), working in community pharmacies. Response rate 54% (n=1190). RESULTS: According to respondents, inappropriate usage of NRT, like possible addiction, products' misuse or use in harm reduction purposes, exists in Finland. NRT sales have decreased at pharmacies and clients obtain only the counselling for NRT at pharmacy but buy the products elsewhere. The motivation to counsel NRT customers has diminished among 30% of pharmacy owners and 17% of staff pharmacists. Still the respondents found that it is pharmacists' duty to offer SC counselling and NRT important in SC. CONCLUSIONS: Despite NRT products' sales at pharmacies having decreased and especially pharmacy owners' motivation to counsel NRT usage having diminished, pharmacists still see it as their duty to guide and support SC.