Table 3 Themes and supporting quotes for phase 1 service provider interviews

Experience of delivering the project

“People are more excited about this one and we’ve seen a lot of people who’ve been smoking for years who’ve actually given up, which makes us feel like we’re helping” (Pharmacy 5)

Pharmacist perceptions of the impact of the e-cigarette intervention

“… we’ve got quite a lot of people that have given up and they’ve still given up, you know even though it might be two or three months later down the line … so for those people obviously a huge impact because you had people smoking you know 40 cigarettes a day” (Pharmacy 3).

Programme facilitators to delivering the e-cig intervention

“There was advertising. They were advertising in the local paper, we have advertising in store and on our windows and also in the local surgery … and I believe it went in the Manchester Evening News website as well” (Pharmacy 1).

Programme barriers to delivering the intervention

I think there’s been a spectrum of impact, I think there’s been quite a few people who have just got the e-cig because it’s free and not really you know tried it to some extent, that … weren’t really invested and they’ve not done typically well” (Pharmacy 3).

Personal facilitators and barriers for quitting smoking

“I think sometimes it’s helpful if they’ve got demonstrable health problems that are linked to their smoking” (Pharmacy 3).

“I think also the stress that they go through … life stress … we do have a lot of low-income people, I think … and it boils up, you know … they still want to have a cigarette when they’re going through the stress, instead of having another puff on the e-cig” (Pharmacist 1).