The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) enthusiastically supports prioritizing tobacco cessation as a health goal for Americans and, specifically, for uniformed service members. Today, the Surgeons General of the United States and U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force released a statement on how tobacco product use threatens military readiness.

“We appreciate the leadership of our surgeons general on tobacco cessation as a public health priority. America’s pharmacists are a major underutilized health care force ready to help address this issue,” said APhA CEO Thomas E. Menighan, BSPharm, MBA, ScD (Hon.), FAPhA.

Pharmacists are one of the most accessible health care professionals for service members, located at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and federal health care facilities and at pharmacies in the communities where our service members live.

Pharmacists in every state stand at the ready to recommend over-the-counter tobacco cessation products and refer individuals to quitlines and local prescribers for additional support. Federal pharmacists and pharmacists practicing in many states have the authority to prescribe tobacco cessation therapies.

In support of the surgeon generals’ statement and the pharmacy profession’s role in tobacco cessation, APhA has launched pharmacist.com/tobaccocessation to help with tobacco cessation efforts.

On this page, pharmacists can access APhA’s Practice Guidance for Expanding Pharmacy-based Tobacco Cessation Services with the Appointment Based Model. They can also access Quitting for Good: A Tobacco Treatment Workshop—a 1-hour CE that APhA has made free for all pharmacists beginning today.

Additionally, APhA is pleased to announce that we will host a session focused on tobacco cessation at our Joint Federal Pharmacy Seminar in Dallas, TX, on October 27–30 and 2 hours of CE at our 2020 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition in National Harbor, MD, on March 20–23.

Pharmacists are easy to reach and ready to help U.S. service members quit tobacco. APhA is proud to support pharmacists as they provide these patient care services.