Provincial campaign aims to help Manitobans quit smoking

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This article was published 01/04/2022 (1443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A pharmacy manager in Brandon says he is pleased the provincial government has a new program to help people quit smoking.

The Pharmasave on Victoria Street is getting involved with the Quit Smoking with Your Manitoba Pharmacist program, the first of its kind aimed at helping people who want to kick the habit.

Mikil Kapadia explained pharmacists can give people direct help through this program with counselling as well as prescription and over-the-counter medications at no extra cost.

“We all know smoking is related to a lot of health problems, like cardiac issues, breathing problems and cancer,” he said. “This is a great initiative by the government because it helps pharmacists, as well as patients, to enter into a smoking cessation program.”

To get in the program, people have to register and file some paperwork at a participating pharmacy. Once in the program, they will get an initial assessment to develop an individualized plan. Further counselling and up to $100 worth of smoking cessation therapies and medications will be offered over one year.

Manitoba was lacking a comprehensive stop smoking program, Kapadia said. In other provinces like Saskatchewan, Ontario and Alberta, pharmacists can prescribe medications and the government reimburses them.

All pharmacists involved have been trained and certified in smoking cessation tools and supports to work in the program.

Both Pharmasave locations in Brandon are part of the program. However, staff at the Pharmasave Brandon Medical Clinic location on McTavish Avenue were unable to comment due to busy hours.

One very important aspect is people have a support system in this program to help keep them on track because it can take at least four attempts before someone completely kicks the habit.

People trying to quit smoking do much better and have higher success rates if they have supports, Kapadia said.

This is a a new health-related social-impact bond between the province and Loblaws/Shoppers Drug Mart. The grocery and pharmacy chain is investing $2 million over three years to fund this program, according to a news release. If enrolment and permanent nicotine quitting targets are met or exceeded, the company will receive $2.12 million from the province. However, the province is allowing any pharmacy that is interested to be a part of the program. So far there are 30 pharmacies in the Prairie Mountain Health region participating, the release stated.

The success of this social-impact bond will be determined by how many participate and permanently stop smoking. To be considered successful, 1,500 have to sign up in the first 18 months and 4,500 over the next three years. As well, there has to be a 12 per cent quit-smoking success rate in the first six and 12 months, and a sustained six per cent rate at two years.

The provincial government has partnered with Pharmacists Manitoba, Loblaws and several pharmacies to deliver this program.

The government partnered with a private company to make this accessible and equitable, achieving good health outcomes faster, explained Sarah Guillemard, minister of health and community wellness at a press conference on Friday. This program also aligns with the Department of Health’s recently launched A Pathway to Community Health and Wellness by supporting chronic disease prevention.

In addition to this program, Guillemard said her department continues to work with stakeholders, such as the Canadian Cancer Society and the Lung Association, as well as Shared Health and regional health authorities to deliver more options to help Manitobans quit smoking.

If successful, this program could help save the province up to $1 million in health-care costs, said Audrey Gordon, minister of health.

To find out where you can register for this program, visit www.quitsmokingmb.ca/

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com

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