[Tobacco and surgery: A survey of health professionals' practices and knowledge. A role for the community pharmacist].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the knowledge and management of preoperative smoking patients by different health professionals.

METHOD: We conducted a survey among surgeons, anesthesiologists, and pharmacists using questionnaires. The study included 115 pharmacists and 7 physicians.

RESULTS

Only 28% of pharmacists felt they had the necessary knowledge about smoking cessation before surgery and its consequences. Moreover, pharmacists were informed of the surgery less than one month before in 61% of cases, whereas physicians claimed to inform patients at least 3 months before in 57% of cases. The main reasons mentioned by the pharmacist for not informing the patient about presurgical smoking cessation were a lack of knowledge of the information to be relayed and a late knowledge of the scheduling of a surgery. Additionally, 57% of physicians stated that they never prescribed nicotine replacement products, while 42% of pharmacists felt that they never dispensed them.

CONCLUSION

The study provides a clear picture of the smoking pathway before surgery and highlights areas for improvement in the management of preoperative smoking patients by different health professionals.