Housing evidence / case study · working draft
Northern Ireland community-pharmacy cessation RCT
A randomised trial found substantially higher 12-month abstinence with structured pharmacy counselling than with usual pharmacy advice.
01 / THE APPROACH
What was tried
This historical trial tested a structured stop-smoking programme in community pharmacies in Northern Ireland and London. Pharmacists enrolled 484 smokers, who were randomly allocated to the programme or usual pharmacy advice.
The programme offered an organised counselling conversation, written information and weekly follow-up for the first four weeks, then monthly contact when needed. It made support a continuing part of the pharmacy relationship rather than a single informal exchange at the counter.
Researchers checked the twelve-month smoking outcome with a cotinine test. Although many pharmacists trained, fewer than half recruited anyone, making workforce participation an important delivery issue.
02 / THE FINDINGS
What was learned
Thirty-eight of 265 participants receiving structured support (14.3%) were abstinent up to twelve months, compared with six of 219 receiving usual advice (2.7%).
The study supports structured pharmacy follow-up in this setting. It was published in 2001, involved no housing-specific recruitment and pooled Northern Ireland and London results. Its value here is the community delivery relationship and longer follow-up, rather than a description of today's pharmacy service.
03 / TRANSFER TO WALES
What Wales could learn
Pharmacists offered structured counselling with written information and continuing follow-up. Delivery relied on trained pharmacists taking an active part; fewer than half of those trained recruited anyone.
The longer-term result is useful, alongside that workforce lesson. This is a historical example involving pharmacies in two regions, rather than today's Northern Ireland service.
Sources & review
Maguire, McElnay and Drummond, Addiction 96(2):325–331 (2001). Public primary abstract checked 22 October 2026. Cotinine validation was at the 12-month follow-up. Marker represents Northern Ireland participation.
