Nicotine replacement therapy

The Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) programme is a scheme funded by the Public Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health.

Reducing tobacco consumption is a high priority for the New Zealand Government. The priority given to reducing tobacco consumption is based on:

• the negative impact that tobacco use has on the health status of the population
• the associated costs to society
• the public demand for tobacco control
• the effectiveness of different strategies to reduce tobacco consumption, in particular NRT in combination with counselling.

For these reasons the National Smoking Cessation Guideline and the NRT programme were initiated.

The New Zealand Government decided to fund a Pharmacy NRT Service as part of this programme. This service will allow pharmacies to provide cost effective access to subsidised NRT items.

Find more information and support for people wanting to quit smoking.

Quitting smoking — Ministry of Health