Prescription drugs available to help smokers quit in the new year

The prescription will be limited to those who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day, really want to quit smoking and have been part of a group or individual support program.

Smokers will be given a tobacco dependency test and are urged to undergo therapy whilst they’re being treated.

The drugs will cost around 195,500 euros and 40% will be paid by the Health Ministry, which is roughly 10.41 euros per month or 20.82 euros for 60 tablets.

"The prescription is restricted to doctors who define the IB-Salut because they will do it by container, prescribing one treatment per year for a maximum of twelve weeks,” said the Director General of Pharmacy, Nacho García.

García says that each study that has been done on the success of the drugs has given a different result.

"It depends on the motivation to quit and the support you receive,” he says. “Starting it up is very simple because in our community smoking programs are already available.”

In 2018, some 500 people attended workshops at their health centres to help them stop smoking, but by the end of the year, only 225 had people managed to quit.