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IN THIS ISSUE:

  • Past and Upcoming Events

  • Prescriber Consultation Service

  • 2023 Membership Feedback Survey

  • Featured Resources

  • Research Paper of the Month

  • Research

  • Community Updates and Events

  • In the News

  • Ways to Get Involved

PAST AND UPCOMING EVENTS

PAST AUGUST EVENTS

On August 21st, we hosted the research spotlight webinar: "Women’s experiences in injectable opioid agonist treatment programs in Vancouver, Canada". Drawing from a qualitative study of iOAT programs in Vancouver, this presentation examined how social and structural factors impact women’s engagement with injectable opioid agonist treatment (iOAT). A question and answer period followed the presentation.

Our presenter:

  • Samara Mayer - University of British Columbia, British Columbia Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU)
Click here for the webinar recording, as well as all the resources and links shared!

WEEKLY MEMBER DROP-IN MEETINGS

Members are welcome to join our weekly meeting drop-in meetings. It is an interdisciplinary group with prescribers, pharmacists, harm reduction workers, policy folks, nurses, people who use drugs, etc. Right now, we are meeting on Thursdays at 12pm ET. Zoom Link

*Please note: We are shaking things up in our Weekly Thursday Drop-In Meetings over the next couple of months. Expect to see: skills sharing, book club, community presentations, and more! For September, we have two community presentations: On September 7th, come learn about SOLID Outreach Pandora Caretakers with Q and Katherine, and on September 14th, Rachel and Claudia will be presenting about an environmental scan to inform low-barrier Indigenous Centred SOS programming in DTES Vancouver. Additionally, on September 28th, we have our first Book Club meeting! The Book Club is an opportunity to share great books or articles you've read, or amazing videos or podcasts you've enjoyed. Come chat about it and why you think other people should read/listen/watch.*
 

UPCOMING SEPTEMBER MEETINGS AND EVENTS

Are you a health care provider who is involved in prescribing safer supply, e.g., NPs, MDs, PAs, RNs? If you are interested in attending our next clinician meeting on prescribing safer supply on Wednesday, September 6th at 12pm PT | 3pm ET, please register here. Clinician meeting goals include: (1) Connecting safer supply clinicians; (2) Discussing case studies; (3) Asking questions; and, (4) Sharing clinical experiences. Register now!

Join us on Wednesday, September 13th at 12pm ET for our first autumn research spotlight webinar: "Safer Supply Ottawa Research Evaluation Findings: Prescribed Stimulant Safer Supply". This webinar will discuss the newest Safer Supply research evaluation findings from Ottawa programs with a focus on Safer Stimulants. Click here to read and download the full report!

Our Speakers:

  • Marlene Haines RN, PhD Candidate, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa
  • Patrick O’Byrne NP, PhD, Professor, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa; Nurse Practitioner, Sexual Health Clinic
  • Athena Tefoglou, RPN, BSc in Nursing, University of Ottawa
Click here to read their full bios! A Q & A session with the speakers will follow the presentation. This webinar is open to all. Register now!

Join us on Thursday, September 21st at 12pm ET for the official launch of the new evaluation report on the London InterCommunity Health Centre's (LIHC) Safer Opioid Supply Program. This hot topic webinar will cover the findings of the new LIHC evaluation report. The goal of the evaluation was to examine and compare self-reported client outcomes from 2022 and 2023. In both years, clients identified reduced use of drugs from unregulated market, reductions in overdose and increased access to health services since starting safer supply. This report also examines which medications (both opioid and stimulant) that participants would like to be prescribed and their preferred mode of administration for SOS medications.

Our Speakers:

  • Dr. Gillian Kolla, PhD
  • Dr. Andrea Sereda, MD, Lead and Founding Physician for the Safer Opioid Supply (SOS) Program at LIHC
Click here to read their full bios! A Q & A session with the speakers will follow the presentation. This webinar is open to all. Register now!
2023 MEMBERSHIP FEEDBACK SURVEY

How are we doing?

We want to hear from you about what we are doing well, what hasn’t worked well, and what ideas you have for us!

This survey will take approximately 5–10 minutes to complete. Click here to fill it out! 

The survey is anonymous. We do not collect your name or email address. 

Thank you very much for participating!

UPDATES TO PRESCRIBER CONSULTATION SERVICE

Did you know we have a prescriber consultation service? This service offers a direct link between health care providers and experienced safer supply providers (e.g., physician, nurse practitioner). For better accessibility and continuity, registered consultation service members use an email address to connect with the consultant directly. If you want to register for the prescriber consultation service as a physician or nurse practitioner, please email us at info@nss-aps.ca.

FEATURED RESOURCES
Key Messages on Safer Supply: The NSS-CoP has assembled key messages on safer supply as well as a series of infographics and social media campaign packages. Updates to these key messages will happen on an ongoing basis as more research, evidence, and information emerges. Check it out now!
Safer Supply Ottawa Evaluation: Spring 2023 Report: Since 2016, over 36,000 people in Canada have died as a result of the drug poisoning crisis. Polysubstance use has become increasingly common, with more than half of opioid toxicity deaths also involving a stimulant in 2022. As a result, the Safer Supply Ottawa initiative seeks to provide support through the prescription of pharmaceutical opioids and stimulants to people who use drugs (PWUD) as an alternative to the toxic illicit drug supply. This report will provide an overview of the 3 existing Safer Supply programs in Ottawa as well as a more in-depth exploration of Safer Stimulant Supply programs.

Our Lives, Our Care: The Report & Recommendations of The Re-Queering Harm Reduction Project: The Re-Queering Harm Reduction (RQHR) Project’s report and recommendations, Our Lives, Our Care, is an appraisal of the state of care for queer and transgender people who use drugs and/or do sex work (QT-PWUD/SW). Download it as a PDF.

Organizing Our Grief: A Collaboration in Response to the Overdose Crisis is a free online publication that aims to capture and communicate a mobile public artwork and event series called Wish You Were Here, Wish Here Was Better, that made space for people impacted by the ongoing overdose and toxic drug crisis. Our goal in creating Organizing Our Grief and sharing it now with CATIE Blog readers, is to inspire people and inform them about how they can create similar projects to WYWH, WHWB in their own communities.

Trends in rates of opioid agonist treatment and opioid-related deaths for youths in Ontario, Canada, 2013-2021 – ODPRN: Given the rising burden of opioid-related mortality in younger demographics, and the known barriers to accessing OAT in this population, we sought to contrast rates of OAT and opioid-related mortality between youths aged 15 and 24 years and adults aged 25 to 44 years in Ontario, Canada.

Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act – Information for Indigenous communities: The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act can protect you and others at the scene from being charged for having or using drugs, if you seek medical help for yourself or for someone else who has overdosed. These posters provide key information about the Act, including what charges the law does and does not protect against. Download the posters and links!

Crackdown Podcast - Episode 40: Boys Don't Cry: A brand-new episode of Crackdown Podcast is now available! Here's a brief description of the episode: "In the trades there’s a zero-tolerance policy on substance use. But the construction industry relies on drugs. Cocaine and stimulants help maintain a demanding rate of production and opioids treat the pain caused by injury and gruelling physical labour. On the 40th episode of Crackdown, we tell the story of one construction industry veteran, Trevor Botkin, in order to explore the culture of exploitation, secrecy, and hypermasculinity that is driving overdoses among men in the trades." Listen now!

What you need to know about wounds [wallet card] - CATIE: This pocket-sized resource contains basic harm reduction information for people who use drugs about what to do if someone has a wound. It encourages people to talk about wounds with a healthcare provider or harm reduction worker, and includes signs that indicate when to get medical care, as well as tips on how to take care of wounds. Download it now!

Beyond Do No Harm Session #6 - Interrupting Criminalization (IC): IC hosted had an incredible session on Interrupting the Criminalization of People Impacted by the Drug War with the speakers: Jacqueline Seitz (Legal Action Center); Kimberly Sue, MD, PhD (Yale School of Medicine); Marilyn Reyes (Peer Network of New York), Tamara Olt, MD (Broken No More); Louise Vincent, MPH (National Survivors Union); and Aliza Cohen (Drug Police Alliance). You can view the recording in full here, with the passcode n@QfLK8z.
NSS-CoP Resource Library: Did you know we have a resource library with OVER 1,000 resources on safer supply? You can access it for FREE anytime. It features academic journal articles, grey literature, knowledge translation materials, clinical practice guidelines, and more!
RESEARCH PAPER OF THE MONTH
Karamouzian, M., et al. (2023). Challenges of implementing safer supply programs in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative analysis | International Journal of Drug Policy 

Highlights:
  • Safer supply pilot programs face several inner and outer implementation challenges in Canada.
  • Four overarching themes were identified regarding the challenges faced during the establishment and implementation of pilot programs: i) Organizational features; ii) Outer contexts; iii) Intervention characteristics; and iv) Implementation process.
  • It is essential to provide adequate sustainable support to pilot programs during their implementation.
  • Policymakers should ensure that appropriate medications are available to meet the needs of clients in safer supply programs.
RESEARCH
Haines, M., & O’Byrne, P. (2023). Implementing Safer Supply programs: A comparative case study | Journal of Substance Use

Bonn, M., et al. (2023). Safe Supply in the Midst of a Crisis of Unregulated Toxic Drug Deaths—A Commentary on Roberts and Humphreys | Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs

Gagnon, M., et al. (2023). Addressing overdose risks and fatalities in public bathrooms: insights from the development of a Safer Bathroom Toolkit in British Columbia, Canada | Canadian Journal of Public Health 

Haines-Saah, R. J., et al. (2023). Engaging families and parent advocates in research on substance use and drug policy reform: Guiding principles from a Canadian community-academic partnership | Drug and Alcohol Review 

Kennedy, M. C., et al. (2023). Fentanyl concentration in drug checking samples and risk of overdose death in Vancouver, Canada | American Journal of Preventive Medicine 

Hayashi, K., et al. (2023). Police seizure of drugs without arrest among people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada, before provincial ‘decriminalization’ of simple possession: a cohort study | Harm Reduction Journal

Ferguson, M., et al. (2023). Guidance on take-home naloxone distribution and use by community overdose responders in Canada | Canadian Medical Association Journal

Incze, M. A., et al. (2023). Examining the Primary Care Experience of Patients With Opioid Use Disorder: A Qualitative Study | Journal of Addiction Medicine 

Russell, C., et al. (2023). The impact of methamphetamine use on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment retention: a scoping review | Addiction Science & Clinical Practice

Turuba, R., et al. (2023). “A peer support worker can really be there supporting the youth throughout the whole process”: a qualitative study exploring the role of peer support in providing substance use services to youth | Harm Reduction Journal

Wu, L., et al. (2023). Patient perspectives on community pharmacy administered and dispensing of methadone treatment for opioid use disorder: a qualitative study in the U.S. | Addiction Science & Clinical Practice 

Quijano, T., et al. (2023). Xylazine in the drug supply: Emerging threats and lessons learned in areas with high levels of adulteration | International Journal of Drug Policy 

Meyer, M., et al. (2023). Benzodiazepine use, quality of life and psychiatric symptom burden in oral and injectable opioid agonist treatment: a cross-sectional study | Addiction Science & Clinical Practice 

Spadaro, A., et al. (2023). Self-reported Xylazine Experiences: A Mixed-methods Study of Reddit Subscribers | Journal of Addiction Medicine

West, B. S., et al. (2023). In our responses to the overdose epidemic, we cannot forget pregnant and postpartum people | International Journal of Drug Policy

Davis, C. S., et al. (2023). Changes in arrests following decriminalization of low-level drug possession in Oregon and Washington | International Journal of Drug Policy 

Kesten, J. et al. (2023). Development, acceptability, and feasibility of a personalised, behavioural intervention to prevent bacterial skin and soft tissue infections among people who inject drugs: a mixed-methods Person-Based Approach study | Harm Reduction Journal

Applewhite, D., et al. (2023). Attitudes Toward Injection Practices Among People Who Inject Drugs Utilizing Medical Services: Opportunities for Harm Reduction Counseling in Health Care Settings | Health Promotion Practice
COMMUNITY UPDATES & EVENTS
We encourage NSS-CoP members to email info@nss-aps.ca with submissions to include in our newsletter. Content examples include but are not limited to community-led projects, webinars and events, peer-reviewed articles, grey literature, and more!

Care Guidance for Benzodiazepine Prescribing - BCCSU BC-ECHO: Presented by Dr. Nadia Fairbairn on Thursday, September 28th from 12-1pm ET. Register now!

IN THE NEWS
National and General News: British Columbia:
Alberta:
Saskatchewan:
Manitoba:
Ontario: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut: Québec (et en français s'il vous plaît!):
Atlantic Region (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador):
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Share your skills:

We’d like to create opportunities for skills sharing. Let us know if you would like to offer a workshop or present to the membership.

Share your successes:

Share your success stories, your reports, and safer supply resources that you develop with the NSS-CoP membership through:

How can we help? Let us know what you need! Our goal is to support you by assisting in areas around your programs, organizations, and communities!

Want to provide us with anonymous feedback, suggestions, and/or comments? Fill out this anonymous feedback survey - it is completely anonymous and confidential.

Have a question that you’d like to ask? Email us: info@nss-aps.ca or send a message via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
CONTACT US

https://www.nss-aps.ca/
info@nss-aps.ca
(519) 660-0875 ext. 1264

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