Providing Free Nicotine Patches to Quitline Smokers

Summary

The California Smokers' Helpline will conduct a 3 X 2 (nicotine patch by counseling condition) randomized trial to test the provision of nicotine patches to help smokers calling a telephone quitline. The study assesses one factor related to nicotine patches with 3 levels: sending patches directly from the Helpline, providing vouchers that can be redeemed for patches, and usual care. A second factor is counseling plus materials versus materials only. This proposed study has the following specific aims: 1. To demonstrate that a voucher for free nicotine patches will increase the quit rate for smokers who do not have access to free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) 2. To demonstrate that sending patches directly from a quitline would outperform sending vouchers for free NRT, since the vouchers impose an additional barrier to those who want to quit 3. To determine the effect of telephone counseling in the context of nicotine patch distribution and if any interaction effects exist between counseling and patch conditions

Timeline

Start

2013-04

Primary completion

2014-11

Completion

2014-11

Publications

• Background Zhu SH, Anderson CM, Tedeschi GJ, Rosbrook B, Johnson CE, Byrd M, Gutierrez-Terrell E. Evidence of real-world effectiveness of a telephone quitline for smokers. N Engl J Med. 2002 Oct 3;347(14):1087-93. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa020660.
• Background Anderson CM, Zhu SH. Tobacco quitlines: looking back and looking ahead. Tob Control. 2007 Dec;16 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):i81-6. doi: 10.1136/tc.2007.020701.
• Background Cummings KM, Fix BV, Celestino P, Hyland A, Mahoney M, Ossip DJ, Bauer U. Does the number of free nicotine patches given to smokers calling a quitline influence quit rates: results from a quasi-experimental study. BMC Public Health. 2010 Apr 7;10:181. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-181.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.