Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 September 2019
Nicotine replacement therapy sampling (NRTS) refers to providing all smokers, regardless of interest in quitting, with free samples of over-the-counter NRT. NRTS has been shown to increase quit attempts and abstinence.
We conducted a pilot trial with a goal to establish the feasibility and acceptability of NRTS in a dental clinic, where providing free samples is routine and universal.
Participants (N = 30) completed a baseline survey and were randomized to receive or not receive a 2-week supply of NRT samples (14 mg patches and 4 mg lozenges) in a 3:1 ratio.
We enrolled 30 of 50 potentially eligible patients, of whom 26 completed a 4-week follow-up survey. At follow-up, 61% of the NRT group reported use of the samples and 26% said they used more NRT obtained on their own. In the No NRT group, only one patient reported using NRT. No patients reported past week abstinence, but 43% of the NRT group vs. 29% of the No NRT group reported making a quit attempt lasting longer than 24 h.
The pattern of results suggests that conducting a larger trial would be feasible and that the NRTS intervention was acceptable to dental patients.
Now at RAND Corporation in Boston, MA, USA.
Now at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, USA.
Now at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute in Minneapolis, MN, USA.