Tobacco Dependence Pharmacotherapy (7.75 CE hours)

This training is designed for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who work with smoking cessation medications and would benefit from an understanding of the current research guiding smoking cessation pharmacotherapy, including approaches to varenicline use that maximize efficacy and minimize side effects; use of combination medication treatment and adaptive treatment; use of extended pre- and post-quit medications, and more.

Topics include:

• Evidence-based use of FDA-approved medications for tobacco dependence treatment

• Strategies for maximizing the effectiveness of varenicline while minimizing common side effects

• Combination pharmacotherapy approaches, including when and how to combine nicotine replacement therapies and other medications

• Adaptive treatment models that tailor medication regimens based on patient response and treatment progress

• Extended pre-quit and post-quit medication strategies to improve long-term abstinence rates

• Pharmacotherapy considerations for patients with co-occurring behavioral health conditions and other complex clinical presentations

• Approaches for managing medication adherence challenges and addressing patient concerns about tobacco cessation medications

• Application of current research findings to everyday clinical practice

• Interactive analysis of real-world patient cases that illustrate common challenges and evidence-based treatment decision-making

• Practical clinical insights and treatment recommendations from Dr. James Davis based on decades of experience treating tobacco dependence within the Duke Smoking Cessation Program