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The Right Prescription

Mitchell H. Katz, MD

JAMA. 2008;300(12):1451-1453.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Pharmacists and pharmacies are important components of the health care system. Pharmacists not only fill prescriptions, but serve as valuable sources of information about medications for patients and their families. Accordingly, pharmacies generally are perceived as places that help individuals become healthier. In contrast, the fact that pharmacies sell tobacco, a substance associated with 435 000 deaths per year in the United States,¹ conveys a message that is inconsistent with good health. Eighty-two percent of pharmacists and 72% of adult consumers surveyed in California believe that pharmacies should not sell tobacco.² However, given the lack of progress with voluntary efforts to remove tobacco from the shelves of pharmacies, San Francisco, California, has legislated a ban on the sale of tobacco in pharmacies effective in October 2008.

The Case for Banning Tobacco Sales in Pharmacies

Why should pharmacies, but not all retail stores, be prohibited from selling cigarettes and other tobacco products? The answer lies in . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Author Affiliation: San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California.

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