Safer opioid supply: qualitative program evaluation

Harm Reduction Journal

卷:20

Research

Patrick O’Byrne¹  Marlene Haines¹ 

[1] School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Guindon Hall RGN 3051, 451 Smyth Road, K1H 8M5, Ottawa, ON, Canada;

关键词: Safer Supply;    Safer opioid supply;    Overdose crisis;    Harm reduction;    People who use drugs;    Qualitative research;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12954-023-00776-z

 received in 2022-10-26, accepted in 2023-03-30,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAs the overdose crisis in Canada continues to escalate in severity, novel interventions and programs are required. Safer Supply programs offer pharmaceutical-grade medication to people who use drugs to replace and decrease harms related to the toxic illicit drug supply. Given the paucity of research surrounding these programs, we sought to better understand the experience of being part of a Safer Supply program from the perspective of current participants.MethodsWe completed semi-structured interviews and surveys with Safer Supply participants in Ottawa, Canada. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically. Descriptive statistics were used to report survey data.ResultsParticipants most commonly discussed Safer Supply benefits. This included programs offering a sense of community, connection, hope for the future, and increased autonomy. Participants also described program concerns, such as restrictive protocols, inadequate drugs, and diversion.ConclusionsOur research demonstrated that participants found Safer Supply to be effective and impactful for their substance use goals. While participants did discuss concerns about the program, overall, we found that this is an important harm reduction-based program for people who use drugs in the midst of the overdose crisis.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023