Injecting on the Island: a qualitative exploration of the service needs of persons who inject drugs in Prince Edward Island, Canada

Harm Reduction Journal

Melanie A Morrison¹  Jessica M McCutcheon¹ 

[1] Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, 9 Campus Drive, Arts Building, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A5, Canada

关键词: Canada;    Syringe access;    Service provision;    Harm reduction;    Injection drug use;   

Others  :  809695
DOI  :  10.1186/1477-7517-11-10

 received in 2013-02-25, accepted in 2014-02-18,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Few studies have investigated the service needs of persons who inject drugs (PWID) who live in less populated regions of Canada. With access to fewer treatment and harm reduction services than those in more urban environments, the needs of PWID in smaller centres may be distinct. As such, the present study examined the needs of PWID in Prince Edward Island (PEI), the smallest of Canada's provinces.

Methods

Eight PWID were interviewed about the services they have accessed, barriers they faced when attempting to access these services, and what services they need that they are not currently receiving.

Results

Participants encountered considerable barriers when accessing harm reduction and treatment services due to the limited hours of services, lengthy wait times for treatment, and shortage of health care practitioners. They also reported experiencing considerable negativity from health care practitioners. Participants cited incidences of stigmatisation, and they perceived that health care practitioners received insufficient training related to drug use. Recommendations for the improvement of services are outlined.

Conclusions

The findings indicate that initiatives should be developed to improve PWID's access to harm reduction and treatment services in PEI. Additionally, health care practitioners should be offered sensitisation training and improved education on providing services to PWID. The findings highlight the importance of considering innovative alternatives for service provision in regions with limited resources.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 McCutcheon and Morrison; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

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