Tobacco.org

Bupropion helps primary care patients stop smoking 

Research question Can bupropion help primary care patients quit smoking?

Answer Yes. It doubles the odds of continuous abstinence for one year compared with placebo. . . .

What does it mean? This trial tested the effects of bupropion in an unselected population of smokers who were treated entirely by general practitioners. The findings suggest that this established treatment works well in primary care, doubling the odds of continued abstinence for almost a year. Lots of people failed to complete their treatment, but that's typical of smoking cessation trials, say the authors. The chances of giving up were still high compared with other trials in more specialised settings. This trial was managed, monitored, analysed, and interpreted independently of bupropion's manufacturers (GlaxoSmithKline), which paid for a pilot study, the drugs, the placebo, and the carbon monoxide monitors.

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