Chantix Available at US Veterans Hospitals

The Veterans Hospitals across the United States have jumped on board with the new smoking cessation medication, Chantix. For years, they have offered Welbutrin, and the patch. Your provider at your local VA Hospital may not tell you this. It could be because they don't know about it, or it could be that they don't want you to know.

Chantix is very expensive. It costs $128.62 per month at Wal-Mart pharmacies. The general treatment is for 4 months. Because it is so expensive, the VA will not just give you Chantix if you ask for it.

To meet the criteria to be put on Chantix, you must first have tried two alternative methods of quitting smoking. Then your provider will send a request in to the pharmacy, which will have to be verified that you have in fact tried at least two alternatives before they will send it to you. Now here's the catch, yes, there's a catch. You will get the starter pack, which is the first month. You will have to check in with your provider once you have started the medication and quit smoking before they will order the maintenance pack for the next month. You will have to do this for each month to continue the medication.

Now, we all know that doctors across the nation are pushing us all to quit smoking. My provider through the VA is no different. I ran into issues with my provider when she told me my allergy medication was not available through the VA. I had let my prescription lapse, and had not been on it, and started having problems again. When I returned to the VA after having not gone there in a few years, I got a new provider. When I informed her that I needed to have my allergy medication renewed, she said, "We have never issued that through the VA." I informed her she was wrong, in that I had my prescription bottle with me from the original prescription through the VA. I got my allergy medication, only because I made her look it up on my record that I had, in fact, received that medication previously through the VA. When I asked her about the new drug, she said "We don't provide that." And still continued to lecture me on stopping smoking. Now, I had a bad reaction to the Welbutrin, and I am allergic to the adhesive on the patch. My provider was fully aware of this and yet she still told me it was not available through the VA. It was not until I was referred to a specialist at the bigger VA hospital that I was told of the availability of this medication. Interesting thing about the VA providers.

If you are a veteran that would like to quit smoking, but haven't had any success with other therapies, or you know a veteran that would like to quit, then tell them to ask about it at the VA. And if you get told, "We don't offer it," then let them know that they are mistaken, and have them look it up.