title: University-Based Smoking Cessation Program Through Pharmacist-Physician Initiative: An Economic Evaluation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Annually, especially in poor resourced countries, significant amount of money is spent to treat chronic diseases. The money instead could be saved by spending on health promotion programs for preventing chronic diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To conduct cost-effectiveness analysis of various intervention modules in the "Smoking Cessation" program conducted in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an observational study design. Cost-effectiveness analysis was used to assess the costs and outcomes of the intervention. Data were collected retrospectively from medical records of all clients (n= 129) and then all the participants were followed-up for at least 6 months from the date of participation. Data were analysed descriptively using frequency (%) and mean (sd). Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was carried out to test for normality. Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used at alpha level of 0.05. All analyses were done using SPSS version 19.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings of the study showed that the majority of participants were Malays (n= 108; 83.7%), males (n= 128; 99.2%), USM's staff (n= 71; 55.0%) and within an age group of 23 years or less (n= 38; 29.5%). Among those who successfully quit were male (n= 30; 100%), Malays (n= 29; 96.7%), staff (n= 19; 63.3%), moreover, their age ranged from 35 to 56-year-old (n= 15; 50.0%). Further analysis of data showed that there were significant associations between success rate and modules of intervention, occupation, motivation factors, and frequency of counselling. Total cost of the Smoking Cessation Program was MYR 38,634.66 (during a period of 34.5 months), with a success rate equal to 29.1%. The most cost-effective module of intervention was counselling alone (CE ratio equal to MYR360.00 per 1% of success rate). The study found counselling with patch was ineffective during the study period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Counselling alone module was the most cost-effective in Smoking Cessation program conducted in USM, Malaysia.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Social & Administrative Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Qatar University , Doha, Qatar .
authors.forename: Mohamed Izham Mohamed
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Directorate, Department of Pharmacy, Ministry of Health, Khartoum State, Khartoum, Sudan .
authors.forename: Nagmeldien Ahmed Mohammed
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Magzoub
authors.affiliation: Medical Officer (Smoking Cessation Program Coordinator), Wellness Center, Universiti Sains Malaysia , Penang, Malaysia .
authors.forename: Norlela
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maarup
keywords: Cost-effectiveness analysis; Health promotion; Nicotine replacement therapy (NRTs); Quit smoking clinic; Smoking cessation; University setting