Strategy for Developing a Smoking Cessation Program in Macedonia
Journal
EC Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine
Date Issued
2020
Author(s)
Arben Rexhepi
Linda Kaljee
Alexander Plum
Amanda Holm
Magdalena Pop Trajkova Lazarevska
Monika Tushevska
Branka Pavloska
Nikola Chamurovski
Ana Naceva Rafajlovska
Irena Horvat
Bojana Badzakova
Michael Simoff
Abstract
Macedonia has one of the highest smoking rates in Europe and ranks among the top ten globally. Although there is a moderately
strict anti-smoking legislation, tobacco free policies are not financially supported and smoking cessation activities are not included in
the regular educational process of health workers in the country. Smoking cessation is not considered a medical intervention, there
is no consistent access to nicotine replacement therapy or other cessation medications, nor are they covered by health insurance.
The goal of the partners from Henry Ford Health System and the University St Cyril and Method in Skopje was to develop and
adapt a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists program (aCTTS). A team of physician champions was created to facilitate implementing the program and to educate respiratory and internal medicine specialists, as well as general practitioners who proceeded
treating patients for tobacco dependence. During the first four months of the intervention 64,668 patients visits were registered,
25,710 (40%) of them for tobacco-related diseases. Of the latter, 18,558 (72%) included smoking cessation counseling, which by
itself is a great progress to reaching a striving population of smokers.
strict anti-smoking legislation, tobacco free policies are not financially supported and smoking cessation activities are not included in
the regular educational process of health workers in the country. Smoking cessation is not considered a medical intervention, there
is no consistent access to nicotine replacement therapy or other cessation medications, nor are they covered by health insurance.
The goal of the partners from Henry Ford Health System and the University St Cyril and Method in Skopje was to develop and
adapt a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists program (aCTTS). A team of physician champions was created to facilitate implementing the program and to educate respiratory and internal medicine specialists, as well as general practitioners who proceeded
treating patients for tobacco dependence. During the first four months of the intervention 64,668 patients visits were registered,
25,710 (40%) of them for tobacco-related diseases. Of the latter, 18,558 (72%) included smoking cessation counseling, which by
itself is a great progress to reaching a striving population of smokers.
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