WebMD News from HealthDay
Feb. 10, 2015 -- A shortage of Nicorette lozenges in the United States has some ex-smokers hunting for and hoarding the product.
Early last year, GlaxoSmithKline stopped making Nicorette lozenges due to quality control problems. The company also voluntarily recalled the lozenges from warehouses and distributors, the Washington Post reported.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration records show the company described the recalled lozenges as "overly thick, overly soft, and sub and superpotent." However, Glaxo also said the lozenges were safe to use and that retailers could sell their remaining supplies.
Glaxo has not said whether it will start making the lozenges again. Nicorette gum is still available, but many former smokers prefer the lozenges.
A nicotine lozenge just sits in your mouth and provides 25 percent more nicotine because it is completely absorbed, Saul Shiffman, a psychology professor at the University of Pittsburgh, told the Post.
He led a study that found Nicorette lozenges were at least as effective as the gum.
source : Nicorette Lozenge Shortage Worries Many Ex-Smokers
