- Both NRT and bupropion SR are effective interventions to assist smoking cessation.
- The relative effectiveness of bupropion SR and NRT still needs further research.
- Information on how to maximise effectiveness in practice is still lacking, but motivational support is probably involved.
- The most significant differences between NRT and bupropion SR relate to the adverse events and safety profiles of these interventions.
- Overall, the safety profile of NRT is more favourable, particularly given the small but real risk of seizure with bupropion SR.
- Irrespective of the methods used or the assumptions involved, the results of existing economic evaluations and the model developed in this review consistently suggest that smoking-cessation interventions, including the use of NRT and/or bupropion SR, re relatively cost-effective in terms of the cost per life-year saved. The worst-case scenarios still provide estimates of cost-effectiveness better than many other medical interventions.