Smoking cessation
England
Terms of service for Doctors
The National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992 (amendment) (External Web Page)
Legislation in Force
Paragraph 12 of Schedule 2 of this piece of legislation requires doctors to advise patients about the significance of diet, the use of tobacco, consumption of alcohol and the misuse of drugs.
Wherever appropriate, doctors must advise against smoking as part of the service they provide to their patients.
NRT on prescription on the National Health Service
The National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 2001 (amendment) (External Web Page)
Legislation In Force
On National No Smoking Day 2001, the public health minister Yvette Cooper announced that nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) such as patches, lozenges and gum were to be made available on prescription from local general practitioners.
Prior to the announcement, NRT drugs were included in schedule ten of the General Medical Services, which lists drugs that GPs cannot prescribe.
From 17 April 2001 in England and from May 1 2001 in Wales, nicotine replacement therapies were made available to the general public on prescription.
The therapies are available to smokers aged over 18 years of age and to smokers under 18 years on the recommendation of a healthcare professional.
Availability of NRT on the High Street
The Medicines General Sale List Order 2001 (amendment) (External Web Page)
Legislation In Force
This amendment to the Medicines General Sales List altered the status of many nicotine replacement therapies from being a controlled drug available when supplied under the supervision of a pharmacist (Pharmacy only), to one available on the high street (General sales).
These amendments came into force on 31 May 2001.
