For the first time, the National Health System will finance varenicline, a drug that has been proven "scientifically" that helps you quit smoking. This has been announced by the Minister of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare, María Luisa Carcedo, who is concerned about the effects of the consumption of electronic cigarettes. "It is being sold that they are to quit smoking when to quit smoking there are scientifically proven and effective methods," as is the case with 'Champix'.

What is 'Champix'? It is the reference trademark of the active substance in varenicline. Together with bupropion and nicotine patches, these are options that are commonly used to quit smoking, although none of them are subsidized to date. Of all, varenicline has proven to be the most effective. It acts by reducing the effect of nicotine. in the brain and blocking its pleasant effects. It also reduces anxiety due to withdrawal.It comes in the form of tablets and the recommended treatment usually lasts about 12 weeks.What is its effectiveness? It has been seen that at 12 months after treatment, about 40% of people who had quit smoking still did not. According to data from the Ministry of Health, it is estimated that, at the outset, some 70,000 people may benefit. A recent study by the International University of Catalonia pointed out that with the financing of this type of drugs by Health, coverage would amount to 61 million of euros and that would mean that 200,000 Spaniards could quit smoking. For their part, the National Committee for Smoking Prevention, which brings together about 40 scientific and medical societies and has been demanding funding for this type of medicine for 20 years, underlines that an adequate treatment can multiply up to 10 the possibilities of quitting smoking compared to when the effort is carried out personally and without adequate help. Does it have side effects? Being a medication, it can lead to side effects (constipation, mouth dry or bad taste in the mouth, for example) and important contraindications (pain, pressure or tightness in the chest, difficulty cough to breathe or swallow), so you should only start treatment under medical prescription. When will this announcement begin to be effective? According to Minister Carcedo, "it is a matter of weeks that it enters the service portfolio." Today, the Interministerial Commission for Drug Prices of the Ministry of Health meets in which the financing of this drug will be addressed. "We are already finalizing the procedures to incorporate the financing of medicines that help to quit smoking, but this is not only to give a medicine, but it needs to be prescribed by a doctor and that this facilitates the guidelines that smokers have to take who want to quit smoking. "What is the objective? To ensure that treatment to combat tobacco addiction is systematized throughout the National Health System (SNS) and, in addition, be done from the Primary Care services. "This drug has shown that it helps and that is why we will incorporate it into the common portfolio of benefits of the National Health System, along with other measures," emphasizes the acting Minister of Health. Until now, in Spain only some community like Navarra had subsidized smoking cessation treatments. It is about dealing with an addiction that causes about 50,000 annual deaths in our country, where smoking continues to be the main preventable public health problem today. It should be remembered that smoking cessation is key to achieving a 25% reduction in mortality premature for noncommunicable diseases in 2025 agreed by the United Nations in 2011. Is it profitable? First, and given that the cost of such drugs is a brake for smokers, the subsidy will be a step forward for many people. and as noted in the study of the International University of Catalonia Carlos A. Jiménez-Ruiz, pulmonologist and president of the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR), "covering therapies to eliminate smoking in patients with COPD would mean savings of more than four million euros at five years. "In the opinion of professionals who fight daily in the outpatient with this serious Public health problem, the health administration should not fear for the cost of financing products that are effective and only use 3% of total smokers each year, demonstrating their suitability in financing experiences in Navarra or pilot programs in Catalonia Is the drug enough? In the words of the Minister of Health, it is necessary that varicillin "is prescribed by a doctor and that it facilitates the guidelines that smokers who want to quit smoking have to take." Experts remember that the The smoking approach is a multidisciplinary task that goes through psychological, behavioral and pharmacological support. The approach must also be personalized and adapted to your needs throughout the process. It must have a minimum duration of one year and must include both pharmacological and cognitive behavioral treatment. What other measures should accompany this announcement? The acting minister considers the possibility of modifying the current law regulating the places where smoking is allowed or not, as well as advertising related to tobacco and related products such as cigarettes, for example electronic "We are detecting that there is a deficit of compliance with the law and we are working to modify it but, above all, to ensure compliance with the current ones." And what about electronic cigarettes? They are a topic that also worries Carcedo. "What we find with these new products of vaping is that we are not only facing medium and long-term damage, as with traditional tobacco," warns Carcedo, especially given the news coming from the United States, where the authorities have declared an "epidemic" by the e-cigs, which are causing severe pneumonia and even deaths among the young population. The minister rejects the theses of multinationals such as Philip Morris who market what they call "smokeless products": "It is being sold that they are for smoking cessation when to quit smoking there are scientifically proven and effective methods, which we now address in the National Health System in an orderly, systematic and scientifically manner, with the appropriate treatments. " It is the case of varenicline.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Science and Health
  • Health

SaludSanidad buys one million condoms and 500,000 doses of lubricants to promote safe sex

Health The demand for analytics to know immunity to measles is growing

Health Care in the operating rooms: warn by letter that operations will be reduced due to lack of personnel