Using policy to increase prescribing of smoking cessation medications in the VA healthcare system.

Background: Since 2002 the US Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system has initiated national policies and programmes to reduce smoking among its patients and to increase evidence-based treatment for smoking.

Objective: To document changes in dispensing rates of cessation-related medications in VA from 2004 to 2008.

Design: Retrospective analysis of VA administrative data.

Results: Prescription fills for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and for bupropion among NRT users, each grew more than 60% in four years. The increase stemmed primarily from treating more people rather than from filling more prescriptions per person.

Conclusion: The results provide strong support for the efficacy of these policies and illustrate how healthcare systems can successfully employ multiple strategies to increase evidence-based smoking-cessation treatment.