• Samuel Keitaanpaa, Alan Cass, Marita Hefler, and David P Thomas.
• Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory.
• Aust N Z J Public Health. 2021 Feb 1; 45 (1): 34-38.

ObjectiveTo examine the supply of smoking cessation medicines to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers compared to non-Indigenous smokers across Australia.MethodsWe analysed the total number of smoking cessation prescriptions dispensed over three years through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) compared to those supplied nationally through the Closing the Gap (CTG) measure and also in the Northern Territory through the Remote Area Aboriginal Health Service (RAAHS) program.ResultsAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers were supplied with fewer smoking cessation medicines per smoker under the CTG measure compared to non-Indigenous smokers under general PBS benefits. Supply of medicines though the RAAHS program complicated the use of CTG data where higher proportions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in remote areas and use of the CTG measure is lower.ConclusionsFewer smoking cessation medicines are being prescribed and then dispensed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers than to non-Indigenous smokers. Implications for public health: CTG and RAAHS data may be useful to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to improve the use of smoking cessation medicines by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers. However, there are limitations and current obstacles to accessing RAAHS data would need to be removed.© 2021 The Authors.

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