Can you put on a patch if already smoked 3 cigarettes?

Keep in mind that just as the effects of cigarettes may last for minutes to hours in the body; the residual amount of nicotine remaining in the skin after patch placement also lingers. The main concern would be overlapping the amount of nicotine with both. I know that many people take off the patch to smoke cigarettes. This is an improper use of the nicotine patch, and may indicate the need for a higher dose of the patch, or if already on the 21 mg strength, the need for adding other therapies. Zyban and Chantix may both be considered.