Medications avaiable by prescription that may double the long-term abstinence rates of persons who smoke, compared to placebo. 

Pharmacological options can approximately double the long-term abstinence rates of persons who smoke, compared to placebo. Besides nicotine replacement therapy, there are a number of prescription pharmaceuticals which may be effective for your client.

Bupropion Hydrochloride - Sold under the brand name Zyban®, this product is also market as the anti-depressant Wellbutrin®. It is a non-nicotine medication and requires a prescription. The exact mechanism by which bupropion works is unknown, but it is presumed to alleviate cravings associated with nicotine withdrawal affecting noradrenaline and dopamine, two chemicals in the brain that may be key components of the nicotine addiction pathway.

Varenicline tartate - will be available in Canada in 2007, and was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in May 2006. Studies have shown Varenicline to increase the odds of quitting by four times compared to placebo, and double compared to Zyban® at 12 weeks and at 1 year. Varenicline targets nicotinic acetylcholine receptors to decrease craving, withdrawal, and the reinforcement associated with smoking cigarettes.

Clonidine and Nortriptyline - are second-line prescription medications used in smoking cessation. These are pharmacotherapies for which there is evidence of efficacy for treating tobacco dependence, but which have a more limited role than first-line medications.