Active Ingredient: Varenicline
Varenicline is indicated for smoking cessation in adults.
For this indication, competent medicine agencies globally authorize below treatments:
Oral
0.5 - 2 mg
From 0.25 To 1 mg 2 time(s) per day every day
0.5 mg
The recommended dose is 1 mg varenicline twice daily following a 1-week titration as follows:
| Days 1–3 | 0.5 mg once daily |
| Days 4–7 | 0.5 mg twice daily |
| Day 8–End of treatment | 1 mg twice daily |
The patient should set a date to stop smoking. Varenicline dosing should usually start at 1-2 weeks before this date. Patients should be treated with varenicline for 12 weeks.
For patients who have successfully stopped smoking at the end of 12 weeks, an additional course of 12 weeks treatment with varenicline at 1 mg twice daily may be considered for the maintenance of abstinence.
A gradual approach to quitting smoking with varenicline should be considered for patients who are not able or willing to quit abruptly. Patients should reduce smoking during the first 12 weeks of treatment and quit by the end of that treatment period. Patients should then continue taking varenicline for an additional 12 weeks for a total of 24 weeks of treatment.
Patients who are motivated to quit and who did not succeed in stopping smoking during prior varenicline therapy, or who relapsed after treatment, may benefit from another quit attempt with varenicline.
Patients who cannot tolerate adverse reactions of varenicline may have the dose lowered temporarily or permanently to 0.5 mg twice daily.
In smoking cessation therapy, risk for relapse to smoking is elevated in the period immediately following the end of treatment. In patients with a high risk of relapse, dose tapering may be considered.
No dosage adjustment is necessary for elderly patients. Because elderly patients are more likely to have decreased renal function, prescribers should consider the renal status of an elderly patient.
Varenicline can be taken with or without food.
Days 1–3: 0.5 mg once daily.
Days 4–7: 0.5 mg twice daily.
Day 8–End of treatment: 1 mg twice daily.
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