The journey in getting smoking cessation training embedded into an undergraduate pharmacy degree
Author(s)
Denise Kathleen Barlow and Lynne Maree Bye
Presenter(s)
Denise Barlow Smoking Cessation Specialist, Heart Foundation of New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
Abstract
The key driver behind the ABC approach in New Zealand is to increase the number of health professionals asking about smoking, giving brief advice and providing cessation services. Pharmacy students quickly grasped the significance of smoking cessation in the goal of improving the overall health of any given population. Such was their interest they sought smoking cessation training from the NZ Heart Foundation with the intention of completing this in their own time.
Acknowledging the unique nature and experience of this group the Heart Foundation developed a tailored course which for two years proved highly popular with over 60% of students attending in their own time. Unfortunately this took a toll on the students’ performance as this was additional to their prescribed workload which consequently suffered, resulting in the course not being made available in the following year.
The University of Auckland School of Pharmacy decided to formally integrate this topic into the curricula of undergraduate programme. This presentation will share in-depth the journey and the many learnings taken from it along the way, as this forms a valuable model if we are to successfully integrate the ABC and smoking cessation into every undergraduate health discipline in New Zealand.
Source of funding: Heart Foundation of New Zealand
