Assessing preferences for improved smoking cessation medications: a discrete choice experiment
1Faculty of Economics, Institute for Research in Economics, University of Neuchâtel, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland. joachim.marti@unine.ch
Summary
Smokers are willing to pay more for smoking cessation medications with higher efficacy and fewer side effects. Improving these factors, alongside reducing costs, could increase the use of these effective quitting aids.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Economics
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Smoking cessation medications significantly improve long-term abstinence rates.
- Low utilization of medical assistance for smoking cessation persists.
- Understanding factors influencing treatment choice and willingness-to-pay is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate factors influencing smokers' decisions to use cessation treatments.
- To determine smokers' willingness-to-pay for improved cessation drugs.
Main Methods:
- Discrete choice experiment conducted among smokers in French-speaking Switzerland.
- Hypothetical medications evaluated based on price, efficacy, side effects, weight gain prevention, and availability.
- Discrete choice models analyzed treatment choice and propensity to use cessation medication.
Main Results:
- Smokers prioritize higher efficacy, reduced side effects, and weight gain prevention.
- Drug availability (over-the-counter vs. prescription) is less critical.
- Individual factors like education level influence medication choice, with significant preference heterogeneity observed.
Conclusions:
- A notable demand exists for enhanced smoking cessation medications.
- Increased uptake can be achieved by lowering out-of-pocket costs and improving drug efficacy.
- Addressing side effects and weight gain concerns is also important for broader adoption.
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