Objective: To examine which medication could lead to a higher short and long term smoking abstinence in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using General Electric (GE) medical records database (1995 – 2011). The cohort consisted of adult smokers with diagnosis of schizophrenia newly initiating cessation medication. Short term and long term outcomes of cessation were measured at 3 weeks and 1 year. Descriptive and chi-square analyses were used to determine the frequencies and associations of patient characteristics with the abstinence outcomes. Logistic regression models were carried out to determine the predictors of short term and long term abstinence. Results: The cohort consisted of 3,976 patients. Abstinence rate was highest for Varenicline, followed by Bupropion, NRT, and lastly combination at week 12. At one year, abstinence rate was highest for Varenicline, followed by combination, NRT, and lastly Bupropion. Age, race, household locations and receiving counseling were associated with abstinence. No significant differences were found between cessation medications. Conclusions: There were no statistically significant differences in quitting with type of cessation medication. Predictors of better abstinence identified included older age, white race, western household location. These factors should be considered when designing future interventions for schizophrenic population as this minority population may need more tailored approaches to achieve a successful cessation outcome
