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Table 1 Study population selection process

From: General practitioner prescribing of single and combination nicotine replacement therapy in the UK: a retrospective database study

Selection process

n

%

Inclusion: people with an NRT product during the study period

128,115

100.00

Exclusion: people with NRT non-patch products only during the study period

31,129

24.30

NRT non-patch products (N = 31,129):

  

 NRT gum only

5,228

16.79

 NRT tablet only

1,187

3.81

 NRT inhalator only

15,750

50.60

 NRT lozenge only

3,631

11.66

 NRT oral spray only

589

1.89

 NRT nasal spray only

527

1.69

 More than one type of NRT non-patch

4,217

13.55

People with NRT patch product during the study period

96,986

75.70

Exclusions (N = 96,986) a

  

 Under 18 years old

3,197

3.30

 Less than six months of baseline data

15,316

15.79

 Less than fourteen days of follow-up data

193

0.20

 History of NRT products (patch or non-patch)b

39,068

40.28

 History of bupropion or varenicline

13,789

14.22

Study population

38,954

30.41

  1. aBased on date of first NRT patch during the study period. Patients were not excluded in a cascade manner, therefore some patients met more than one of the exclusion criteria. A total of 58,032 patients with an NRT patch product were excluded.
  2. bHistory of NRT patch product any time prior to index date (date of first patch during study period) or history of NRT non-patch product any time before two weeks prior to index date.