The benefits of switching smoking cessation drugs to over-the-counter status.

This paper provides an analysis of the benefits to society from the conversion of nicotine replacement drugs (nicotine patches and gum) in 1996 from sale by prescription only in the United States to over-the-counter (OTC) sales. To estimate these benefits, we first estimate statistical demand functions for nicotine patches and gum. Second, we calculate the effects of OTC conversion on sales of each type of nicotine replacement drug.