Barriers lifted to aid in tobacco cessation

  • Published
  • By Sandy Simison
  • 88 ABW/PA
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Due to recent changes, healthcare providers may now prescribe tobacco cessation medication without requiring patients to seek tobacco cessation counseling.

"In the past, providers would send individuals seeking tobacco cessation assistance to counseling before they could obtain the medication," said Michael Papio, a health promotion coordinator & tobacco treatment specialist at Wright-Patterson Air Base. "The requirement for counseling has been removed, even though counseling is highly encouraged and all the evidence shows that counseling combined with medication has a much higher success rate than just medication alone."

According to Papio, Tricare beneficiaries, including military members, their dependents, and retirees can pick up tobacco cessation medication at no cost from the base pharmacy with a prescription from their provider. He also said that Tricare remote military members are able to use the Home Delivery Pharmacy Program.

Papio also said that tobacco use among active-duty Airmen throughout the U.S. Air Force is approximately 15 percent, and at Wright-Patterson AFB it's at 8 percent.  These figures do not include the use of e-cigarettes which have tripled in use over the past couple of years and have unknown long-term health risks.

Tobacco cessation counseling, conducted by Papio, is available on Wednesdays and by appointment, at Occupational Medicine located in Building 675, in Area B.

"My whole approach to this is I always try to remove as many barriers as possible for them to succeed--whatever I can do to help them have access to counseling, medication, and on-line support," said Papio. 

The class focuses on key challenges of tobacco use and how to stay motivated.  The treatment helps address physical addiction, while the counseling helps address behavioral addiction.  Attendees are encouraged to take control of their decisions and recognize memory triggers, e.g., change their routines when they would normally use tobacco products. 

Capt. Jameson Voss, preventive medicine physician of the 711th Human Performance Wing, School of Aerospace Medicine, also teaches the class and he focuses on medication risks, benefits, alternatives, and follow-up.

"It has been really rewarding to see so much successful quitting among our patients because it makes such a difference in their health," said Voss.

For more information about the class call (937) 904-9358.