Update on smoking cessation options
by Cory Bradley, PharmD
One of the most important things a person can do to improve their health is stop smoking. Accordingly, the pharmacy benefit for drugs to support smoking cessation is one of the most frequently used and asked about on the entire formulary. CareOregon covers multiple options for first-line treatment. Other products that are higher cost are subject to quantity limits or prior authorization (PA) requirements. The table below recaps the current coverage information.
Table 1. CareOregon formulary coverage
|
Medication |
OHP (Medicaid) |
CareOregon Advantage (Medicare) |
|
Nicotine gum/lozenge/patch |
Each covered up to 180 days per year |
Part D excluded (may be covered by Medicaid) |
|
Bupropion SR |
180 days per year |
Covered Part D |
|
Chantix (varenicline) |
90 days every six months |
Covered Part D 168 days per 365 days |
|
Nicotine inhaler |
PA required |
Covered Part D Three months per 365 days |
|
Nicotine nasal spray |
PA required |
Covered Part D Three months per 365 days |
Note: Additional quantity limits may be in place for all products based on typical FDA dosing per day.
Due to Part D OTC exclusion, some nicotine replacement products are only eligible if the member has OHP (Medicaid) coverage.
Chantix (varenicline) is one of the more popular products, but also has one of the more confusing quantity limits under our Medicaid line of business. While indicated for treatment up to 24 weeks at a time, CareOregon typically only covers 12-week treatment courses (one every six months) because there is limited evidence that using Chantix longer than 12 weeks improves long-term quit rates.
A 2006 JAMA article by Tonstad, et al, showed an additional 12 weeks of therapy benefited those who achieved smoking abstinence by the end of the original 12 weeks of therapy. However, this benefit decreases significantly the longer outcomes are tracked from the end of therapy (see Table 2). Nevertheless, CareOregon will approve 24-week courses for those with documented abstinence of seven days at the end of the original 12-week course. CareOregon Advantage (our Medicare Part D plan) does not limit the duration and allows for 24-week use without PA. This is based on a specific Part D rule on FDA indications.
Table 2. Quit rates of Chantix overtime for those who are abstinent at 12 weeks
|
|
12 weeks |
24 weeks |
52 weeks |
|
Chantix x 24 weeks |
100%- trial design only those abstinent at 12 weeks* |
70.5% |
43.6% |
|
Chantix x 12 weeks |
50% |
36.9% |
* Only 64% of patients were abstinent and qualified for follow-up study.
Recently, the CareOregon Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee agreed to allow a retreatment course every six months (previously only one course per year was covered without PA). This means 12 weeks of Chantix is eligible every six months without PA. For more frequent retreatment requests, prior authorization is required for exception. We anxiously await the generic varenicline expected later this year, which may allow expanded formulary access.
