Efficacy and Cost-Effectiveness of Cost-free Pharmacotherapy for Smoking Cessation for High-risk Smokers With Cerebrovascular Disease

Efficacy and Cost-effectiveness of Cost-free Pharmacotherapy for Smoking Cessation for High-risk Smokers With Cerebrovascular Disease

Research Aims

The aims of this research study are to determine whether cost-free smoking cessation pharmacotherapy:

1. Helps smokers with Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or stroke to quit smoking over the long-term, compared to simply providing a prescription for these medications;
2. Is a more cost-effective alternative to providing a prescription only for these medications in this high risk population.

Hypotheses to be Tested

The hypotheses to be tested include the following:

1. The CO-validated continuous abstinence rate at weeks 26 and 52 following a target quit date will be at least 10% higher for the cost-free smoking cessation pharmacotherapy intervention group compared to the prescription only usual care group;
2. Cost-free smoking cessation pharmacotherapy will have a greater cost-effectiveness (i.e., cost/quit) than providing a prescription only.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cerebrovascular Disorders; Smoking Cessation
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Cost-Free Pharmacotherapy Group; Other: Prescription Only Group

Detailed Description

Smokers with Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or stroke attending a Stroke Prevention Clinic and willing to quit smoking will be randomly assigned (1:1) to either a prescription only (PO) usual care group or a cost-free (CF) pharmacotherapy experimental group. Participants assigned to the prescription only usual care group will be asked to have their prescription for smoking cessation pharmacotherapy filled at their own cost at their local community pharmacy. Participants assigned to the cost-free pharmacotherapy group will be provided with a 12-week supply of NRT, or a 12-week supply of bupropion or varenicline. The pharmacotherapy will be provided by the research nurse to the patient immediately. All participants will receive identical advice regarding smoking from the attending neurologist, nurse counseling for smoking cessation, and follow-up tracking and telephone-based support for up to 26 weeks after the target quit date. Non-treatment follow-up will continue to week 52 after the target quit date.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 194
• Phase: Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8L 2X2
      • Hamilton Health Sciences -Stroke Prevention Clinic
    • Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1Y 4E9
      • The Ottawa Hospital - Stroke Prevention Clinic

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patient is a current daily smoker (one cigarette per day in the month preceding the visit to the Stroke Prevention Clinic)
2. Patient has been diagnosed with TIA or stroke at any point in time
3. Patient is able, in the opinion of the neurologist, to comprehend and participate in the smoking cessation interventions
4. Patient is 18 years of age or older
5. Patient is willing to set a quit date
6. Patient willing to travel to study centre for follow-up visits
7. Patient is willing to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patient is unable to understand English or French
2. Patient is not willing to use pharmacotherapy to quit
3. Patient has been using smoking cessation medication for more than 6 weeks directly prior to clinic visit or hospital admission.
4. Patient is pregnant, lactating or planning to become pregnant during the study period

5. Patient has contraindication(s) to all of the following smoking cessation medications:

   • Nicotine replacement therapy (allergy to adhesive, serious cardiac arrhythmias (e.g., tachycardia), vasospastic disease (e.g., Buerger's disease, Prinzmetal's variant angina)
   • Bupropion (history of seizure disorder or head trauma; presently taking Wellbutrin; previous reaction to bupropion/Zyban/Wellbutrin; pre-existing or current eating disorder; taking anti-depressants, antipsychotics, corticosteroids, MAO inhibitors, theophylline, cocaine or diet pills; taking a quinalone antibiotic (e.g., ciprofloxacin, levoflozacin); currently using oral hypoglycemic product or insulin; severe hepatic impairment; CNS tumour; and
   • Varenicline (renal failure; use of cimetidine; previous reaction to varenicline)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cost-Free Group	Drug: Cost-Free Pharmacotherapy Group; Participants assigned to the cost-free pharmacotherapy group will be provided with a 12-week supply of NRT, or a 12-week supply of bupropion or varenicline. Patients smoking 10 cigarettes or less will be prescribed 7mg/24hours for 12 weeks. Those who smoke 11- 20 cigarettes per day will be prescribed 14 mg/24 hours for 8 weeks and then nicotine patch 7mg for 4 weeks. Those smoking ≥ 20 cigarettes per day will be prescribed 21 mg/daily for 6 weeks and then nicotine patch 14mg/daily for 4 weeks and then nicotine patch 7 mg/daily for 2 weeks. For patients who are prescribed varenicline, they will start the medication 8 days before the quit date using the following regime: Days 1-3: 0.5mg once/day; Days 4-7: 0.5 mg BID; Day 8-12 weeks 1.0 mg twice daily. For patients who are prescribed bupropion, they will start the medication 8 days before the quit date using the following regime: Days 1-3: 150 mg daily (in the morning); Day 4-30: 150 mg BID for 3 months.; Other Names: Wellbutrin; Champix; Chantix; Nicotine Patch
Other: Prescription Only Group	Other: Prescription Only Group; Participants assigned to the prescription only usual care group will be asked to have their prescription for smoking cessation pharmacotherapy filled at their own cost at their local community pharmacy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Biochemically Confirmed (Exhaled CO < 10 Ppm) of Self-reported Continuous Abstinence From Weeks 12 to 52 Following the Target Quit Date.	52 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Biochemically Confirmed (Exhaled CO < 10 Ppm) of Self-reported Continuous Abstinence From Weeks 12 to 26 Following the Target Quit Date.	26 weeks
Self-reported 7-day Point Prevalence Abstinence at 12 Week Followup	12 weeks
Verified 7-day Point Prevalence Abstinence at 26 Week Follow-up	26 weeks
Verified 7-day Point Prevalence Abstinence at 52 Week Follow-up	52 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation
• Collaborators: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario
• Investigators: Study Chair: Sophia Papadakis, MHA, Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation; Study Chair: Andrew Pipe, MD, Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation; Principal Investigator: Grant Stotts, MD, The Ottawa Hospital; Study Chair: Debbie Aitken, RN BScN, Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation; Study Chair: Kerri-Anne Mullen, MSc, Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation; Study Chair: Sophia Gocan, RN BScN, The Ottawa Hospital; Study Chair: Mary Ann Laplante, RN BScN, The Ottawa Hospital; Principal Investigator: Robert Reid, MBA PhD, Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: December 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 18, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 19, 2009
• First Posted (Estimated): August 20, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 10, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 23, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: stroke; smoking cessation; Cerebrovascular disease; Pharmacotherapy; Transient Ischemic Attack
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Brain Ischemia; Behavior; Health Behavior; Stroke; Ischemic Attack, Transient; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Smoking Cessation; Organic Chemicals; Heterocyclic Compounds; Heterocyclic Compounds, 2-Ring; Heterocyclic Compounds, Fused-Ring; Therapeutics; Benzazepines; Ketones; Quinoxalines; Propiophenones; Varenicline; Bupropion; Tobacco Use Cessation Devices
• Other Study ID Numbers: HIPRC-6749