Which is the best primary medication for long-term smoking cessation–nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion or varenicline?
Author(s): Doggrell SA Affiliation(s): Doggrell Biomedical Communications, 41 Summerhill Rd, Reservoir, VIC 3073, Australia. sheila.doggrell@bigpond.com Publication date & source: 2007-12, Expert Opin Pharmacother., 8(17):2903-15. Publication type: Review Nicotine chewing gum has been available since 1982, when it was shown to increase smoking cessation rates by approximately 1.5- to 2-fold after 12 months. Despite the introduction of many other preparations of nicotine (sublingual, lozenge, transdermal, nasal spray and inhaler) and numerous other clinical trials, there has been no major improvement in effectiveness for smoking cessation, just an increase in the choice of how the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is administered. Smoking cessation rates with NRT are similar in subjects with serious chest and cardiovascular disorders. There is no evidence that intensive counselling improves the smoking cessation rates with NRT over standard counselling. The first major alternative to N
