To the Editor: As noted in the letter by Chapman and Jamrozik,1 there was substantial prescribing of bupropion sustained release (Zyban SR; GlaxoSmithKline) following its Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listing from 1 February 2001. The drug has been the subject of extensive publicity following reports of adverse drug reactions and deaths of patients while taking bupropion. Although bupropion has been shown to be effective in two key clinical trials,2,3 there are no studies of effectiveness when prescribed in the context of Australian general practice.
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The contribution of the general practice registrars and the support provided by the Primary Health Care Research Network to this project is gratefully acknowledged.
NAZ and RLR have received funding from GlaxoSmithKline to conduct education programs in smoking cessation for health professionals.