Closing-the-Gap-How-Vermont-Acted-to-Help-More-Smokers-Quit-(Case-Study) (1)

This case study details Vermont’s successful strategy to improve access to its comprehensive Medicaid tobacco cessation benefit by authorizing pharmacists to prescribe cessation medications and receive reimbursement for counseling services. Despite offering a comprehensive benefit, Vermont faced persistent low utilization among Medicaid members. To address this, the Vermont Tobacco Control Program partnered with Medicaid to designate pharmacists as qualified providers, a process that involved stakeholder engagement, legislative and regulatory changes, and pharmacist education. This initiative leveraged pharmacists’ accessibility and community presence to overcome barriers and ultimately improve access to and utilization of tobacco cessation services for Vermont Medicaid enrollees, demonstrating a model for other states.