Stop Smoking with an Online Doctor in Ireland
Quitting is the single best thing you can do for your health — and you don’t have to do it on willpower alone. Talk to a registered Irish doctor by video, get a personalised quit plan, and a stop-smoking prescription where it’s right for you.
Book a stop-smoking consultation →Most people who smoke want to stop. The good news is that the right combination of support and medication makes success far more likely than trying to quit cold turkey. A DoxOnCall online doctor can assess how strong your nicotine dependence is, talk through the options, and prescribe a treatment that fits you — from nicotine replacement to prescription medicines like varenicline. We work alongside the free HSE Quit service, not instead of it.
How hard will it be to quit? Try the 1-minute self-check
Answer a few quick questions to get your Fagerström score — the measure doctors use to gauge nicotine dependence — and see which stop-smoking approach is likely to help you most. It’s private, anonymous, and doesn’t diagnose or prescribe.
How ready are you to stop smoking?
A quick, private self-check using the Fagerström score doctors use to measure nicotine dependence. It cannot diagnose or prescribe — but it will show how strong your dependence is and what kind of stop-smoking treatment might suit you.
Do you currently smoke tobacco?
Cigarettes, roll-ups, cigars or a pipe.
How soon after waking do you smoke your first cigarette?
How many cigarettes do you smoke a day?
Do you find it hard not to smoke where it isn't allowed?
For example in a hospital, cinema, or on public transport.
Which cigarette would you hate most to give up?
Do you smoke more in the first hours after waking than during the rest of the day?
Do you still smoke if you are so unwell that you are in bed most of the day?
Are you pregnant or breastfeeding?
This changes which stop-smoking medicines are safe for you.
How ready are you to stop smoking?
Your stop-smoking options
There is no single “best” method — the right choice depends on how dependent you are, your health, and your preference. A doctor will help you decide.
Nicotine Replacement (NRT)
Patches, gum, lozenges, inhalators or sprays. Most effective as a combination — a patch for steady background craving plus a fast-acting form for sudden urges. Safe for almost everyone, including most people with heart disease and during pregnancy.
Varenicline (Champix)
A prescription tablet, started a week or two before your quit date, that reduces cravings and the reward from smoking. Often the most effective single medicine. Your doctor will check it’s suitable and monitor how you get on.
Bupropion (Zyban)
A prescription tablet that can help you stop, useful when varenicline isn’t suitable. It isn’t right for everyone — for example if you have a history of seizures or an eating disorder — so a doctor checks carefully first.
Cytisine (cytisinicline)
A plant-derived medicine that works in a similar way to varenicline. A cytisinicline product is now authorised in Ireland (Minreksav oral solution), so it can be prescribed in the ordinary way where a doctor judges it suitable. Older Tabex tablets are a different, unauthorised product. Availability can vary, so check with your pharmacy. Treatment runs as a short course of about 25 days, and you set a quit day in the first few days. As with any medicine, whether it suits you is a decision for the doctor after assessing you, with your informed consent, when a doctor judges it appropriate for you.
How it works
- Book a consultation. Choose the Stop Smoking Consultation and pick a time that suits you.
- Talk to a registered Irish doctor by video. They’ll ask about your smoking, your health, and what you’ve tried before, and agree a quit date with you.
- Get your plan and prescription. Where appropriate, the doctor sends a prescription to your pharmacy and gives you a clear plan — plus a referral to free HSE Quit support.
- Review and keep going. A follow-up helps you adjust the dose, manage any side effects, and get back on track if you slip.
What is available locally, free of charge:
- Local HSE stop-smoking clinics — one-to-one sessions with an adviser, available in most parts of the country; the Quit line will point you to the nearest.
- Structured group courses — several weeks with the same small group, including the We Can Quit programme for women in disadvantaged areas.
- Pharmacy support — practical help getting nicotine replacement right, which is where most people go wrong, plus regular check-ins.
- Text and app support — free-text QUIT to 50100, or build a quit plan on QUIT.ie for nudges through the first few weeks.
Combining adviser support with medication roughly doubles the odds, and every option here is free.
Is it safe for me?
Stop-smoking medicines are safe and effective for most people, but not every option suits everyone. Please tell the doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have ever had a seizure or an eating disorder, have a heart condition, or a history of depression or other mental illness — this helps them choose the right treatment for you. If you’re pregnant, nicotine replacement with support is usually the recommended approach. Our doctors won’t prescribe where it isn’t safe, and will always point you to the right care.
Frequently asked questions
Can an online doctor really prescribe stop-smoking medication?
Yes. A registered Irish doctor can assess you by video and, where it’s clinically appropriate, prescribe nicotine replacement, varenicline, or bupropion, sending the prescription to your chosen pharmacy. The decision is always made after a proper consultation.
Which is the most effective way to stop smoking?
The most effective approaches are combination nicotine replacement (a patch plus a fast-acting form) or varenicline, each combined with behavioural support such as the HSE Quit service. Your doctor will recommend what suits your level of dependence and your health.
Do you prescribe cytisine (Tabex)?
A cytisinicline product (Minreksav oral solution) is now authorised in Ireland, so cytisine can be prescribed in the ordinary way when a doctor judges it appropriate — it is no longer an unlicensed-medicine decision. The older Tabex tablets are a different product and remain unauthorised here. Supply can vary between pharmacies, so it is worth checking. A doctor will still discuss the licensed options — nicotine replacement and varenicline.
How much does it cost?
The Stop Smoking Consultation is €54.99. The cost of any medication is separate and depends on the pharmacy and whether you have a medical card or Drugs Payment Scheme cover.
What if I’ve tried to quit before and failed?
That’s completely normal — most people make several attempts before they stop for good. Each attempt teaches you something. A doctor can review what happened last time and adjust the plan and medication to give you a better chance now.
Ready to stop smoking?
Talk to a registered Irish doctor today, get a plan that fits you, and take the first step.
Book a stop-smoking consultation →This page is for general information and does not replace a consultation. Whether any medicine is suitable for you is decided by a registered doctor after assessing you. Cytisinicline (cytisine) is now authorised in Ireland as Minreksav oral solution; the older Tabex tablets are not. If you are pregnant, or have a heart condition, seizure history or other significant illness, tell the doctor as it affects which treatments are safe.
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