Only a tenth of pregnant smokers are prescribed nicotine replacement therapy

Only a tenth of pregnant women who smoke are prescribed nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and many opportunities for smoking cessation are lost, says a study published in the British Journal of General Practice on 1 September.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham set out to see how often NRT was recommended to expectant mothers. NRT became available on NHS prescription in 2001, and UK licensing arrangements were changed in December 2005 to allow its prescription to pregnant smokers. Previously, only two small …