Stop Smoking in Medway: Free Pharmacy Support That Works

What does the Medway stop smoking service offer?

Medway Pharmacy offers free NHS stop smoking advice and structured support for people aged 12 and over. The pathway starts with an assessment, then a quit plan and follow-up. Nicotine replacement therapy can be supplied through the plan, with standard NHS prescription charges unless you are exempt. Prescription-only options are considered only for eligible adults after a clinical assessment. Availability and suitability are checked individually. Source

NHS evidence says combining treatment with expert NHS Stop Smoking Service support can make someone up to three times more likely to quit for good. This is not a promise that every quit attempt succeeds. It means behavioural support and suitable treatment together improve the odds compared with trying without that support. Source

What happens at the first appointment?

The adviser will ask about what you smoke, how much, when cravings are strongest, previous attempts, medicines, pregnancy and health conditions. They may discuss carbon monoxide monitoring if available within the service. The conversation is practical, not a test of willpower. Its purpose is to match support to dependence, routines and health needs.

You will agree a quit date or a short preparation period. Some people prefer to stop on one day; others need to plan around work, caring or social triggers. The adviser can help identify cue points such as the first drink of the morning, driving or breaks with colleagues. A plan should say what to do at those moments and who to contact if treatment causes problems.

How follow-up keeps a quit attempt moving

Follow-up is usually weekly or fortnightly according to the local plan and your needs. Appointments review cravings, withdrawal, medicine use and any cigarettes smoked. They also let the adviser correct how nicotine products are used. Missing an appointment or having a cigarette does not automatically end support. Contact the service and reset the next practical step.

Withdrawal can include irritability, low mood, poor concentration, restlessness and stronger appetite. Symptoms are often most intense early in a quit attempt and then ease. Tell the adviser about severe or persistent mood changes. If you are in immediate danger, having thoughts of self-harm, or unable to stay safe, use urgent mental health or emergency support rather than waiting for a routine appointment.

Why combination NRT may help

Combination nicotine replacement therapy usually pairs a steady product, such as a patch, with a faster product for breakthrough cravings, such as gum, lozenges, spray or an inhalator. The adviser assesses what is suitable and explains correct use. Nicotine treatment supplies nicotine without the tar and carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke. Source

Using too little or stopping treatment early can leave cravings uncontrolled. Using a product incorrectly can also reduce benefit. Ask how long to use each product, what side effects to watch for and what to do if you smoke while using it. Do not share prescribed or supplied treatment with another person.

Prescription options and cost

Eligible adults may be assessed for prescription-only stop smoking medicines where locally available and clinically suitable. These are not automatic and may interact with medicines or be unsuitable in some circumstances. The prescriber or pharmacist will explain benefits, cautions and monitoring. People aged under 18 are not offered adult prescription options simply because they request them.

Advice and behavioural support through the NHS service are free. NRT supplied through the plan carries the standard NHS prescription charge unless you qualify for free prescriptions. Do not rely on an old online price or another person's experience. Ask what will be charged before accepting supply and bring evidence of exemption if required.

What about vaping?

Vaping exposes people to fewer toxins than smoking and can help some adults quit cigarettes, but it is not risk-free. The aim is to stop combustible tobacco first. Discuss current vaping, nicotine strength and dual use honestly so the adviser can avoid an unsuitable plan. Children, young people and non-smokers should not start vaping. Source

A pharmacist example

An anonymised example: a smoker described strong morning cravings and a previous attempt that ended during a stressful week. The adviser helped set a quit date, discussed a steady nicotine product plus faster relief for cravings, and booked follow-up. After a slip, the plan was reviewed rather than abandoned. No details describe an identifiable patient.

Slips, relapse and the next attempt

A slip is one cigarette or a short return to smoking. Treat it as information: what happened, which craving was missed, and what support was absent? A relapse does not erase progress. Remove remaining tobacco, contact the service, and decide whether to resume the quit date or set a new one. Repeated attempts are common and can build useful knowledge.

When symptoms need urgent care

A stop smoking appointment is not an emergency service. Call 999 for severe breathing difficulty, collapse or chest pain that may be a heart attack. Seek urgent assessment for coughing up blood, severe or rapidly worsening breathlessness, or other acute symptoms. NHS 111 can direct you when urgent help is needed but the correct setting is unclear. Do not delay because you already have a pharmacy appointment.

How to start in Medway

Read the local service page, call 01634 575805 or ask at Medway Pharmacy, 465 Canterbury Street, Gillingham, ME7 5LJ. Ask about the next assessment, what identification or exemption evidence to bring and whether the service currently has capacity. A booked assessment does not guarantee a particular medicine.

Matching background and breakthrough NRT

A background nicotine product is intended to reduce the steady pull of withdrawal across the day. A faster product is used when a particular craving breaks through, for example after food, during travel or in a stressful conversation. The assessment should match both parts to the person's smoking pattern. Someone who wakes with an immediate craving may need a different plan from someone whose smoking is mainly social. The adviser will explain maximum use, spacing and technique for the selected products. More is not automatically better, but too little can leave avoidable cravings. Keep a short record of when breakthrough doses are needed so follow-up can identify gaps.

Preparing a quit date and trigger plan

Choose a quit date that allows a little preparation but does not drift indefinitely. Remove cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays from the places where they are usually reached. Tell supportive people what help is useful and what is not. List the five situations most closely linked with smoking, then give each a replacement action. That might mean taking a short walk after lunch, changing the route to work, keeping the fast-acting product accessible, or leaving a smoking area early. Plan food, sleep and alcohol choices because hunger, tiredness and drinking can weaken a decision made earlier in the day. Bring this trigger list to the first follow-up.

What happens after a slip

After a cigarette, stop and review the hour before it happened. Check whether the background product was used as planned, whether fast relief was available, and which thought or situation tipped the balance. Contact the adviser rather than waiting for the next scheduled review if the slip is turning into regular smoking. Treatment may need technique correction, a different format or a revised trigger response. Dispose of remaining tobacco and restart the plan at the next practical point. If smoking resumes fully, agree a new quit date and carry forward what was learned. The purpose of follow-up is to respond early, not to judge the attempt.

Medicine and special-population cautions

Tell the pharmacist about pregnancy, breastfeeding, recent heart problems, seizures, significant mental health symptoms and every regular medicine before treatment is selected. Stopping smoking can itself alter how the body handles some medicines, so the prescriber responsible for those medicines may need to review doses or monitoring. Young people use the local support route from age 12, but treatment choices are assessed for age and circumstances. Prescription-only stop smoking medicines are limited to eligible adults after assessment. Do not borrow another person's tablets or combine products outside the agreed plan. Seek urgent help for severe reactions, chest pain, marked breathlessness or a sudden mental health crisis.